USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth county, Wisconsin, Volume I > Part 52
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the state. He talked easily and candidly to juries, and without bluster or fustian, and he was a ready and pleasing speaker out of court. Ile was in sympathetic touch with all the educational interests of his city, county and state. His probity in public affairs and in private life was undoubted.
STEPHEN GANO WEST, son of William, married Rebecca, daughter of Jesse Pike and Rebecca King, and came about 1839 to sections 5, 6, Lafayette. He married again, November 9. 1841, Diana, daughter of Joseph and Lucinda Barker. Rebecca's children were Almira (Mrs. Christopher Wiswell) ; Jesse Pike (married, first, Lydia M. -, second, Elizabeth Ann Loveland) ; Ephraim Pitt: Harriet (Mrs. Aaron Smith, of East Troy) : Stephen G .; Nelson (married Annie M. Hodges) ; Clarissa Rebecca ( Mrs. John Ilare).
Stephen Gano West, Jr. ( 1826-1889), married December 31, 1852, Martha, daughter of Nelson Lake and Martha Brandon. The last named was (laughter of Charles W. Brandon and Martha, daughter of Lieut. Daniel Knowlton, of Ashford, Connecticut, an officer of the Revolutionary army.
ISAAC UNDERHILL WHEELER was born at Oyster Bay, Long Island, in 1787 : was apprenticed to a carpenter ; raised a company for the war of 1812- 15; had some experience as a justice of the peace; came to Whitewater in 1840 and became one of that city's active and substantial citizens. From 1840 to his death, February 9, 1870, he served as justice of the peace with but one interval-that of his postmastership under the Taylor-Fillmore administra- tion. This unbroken public service tells something of the man. He mar- ried in 1875 Lavina Duncan, who died in 1835. leaving six children. Of these were Sarah (Mrs. Jesse R. Kinne ) ; Mary Ann ( Mrs. Gaylord Graves ) ; Har- riet (Mrs. Daniel Salisbury) ; Elizabeth A. ( Mrs. S. Buel Edwards ) : and sons Egbert and William H. Mr. Wheeler married, second, January 26. 1837, Nancy Palmer ( 1810-1890).
SAMUEL AUSTIN WHITE, son of Samuel and Flavia, daughter of Perez Merrick, was born in Delaware county, New York, August 10, 1823; was graduated in 1841 from Hamilton College: studiel law at Hamilton and at Buffalo; came to Geneva as a teacher in 1845, and in 1849 married Mary, daughter of Andrew Ferguson. Ile went to Port Washington, where he was postmaster under the Pierce administration ; member of Assembly for Ozankee in 1857: county judge in 1861. Ile came to Whitewater in 1863 and easily gained and held a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens. Being a war Democrat, he was made assistant bank comptroller in 1864-5. In 1865 he was appointed regent of normal schools. Ile served as assemblyman in 1871 and 1872, having successively defeated Nathaniel M. Bunker and Will- iam Burgit He died March 4, 1878.
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
ASAD WILLIAMS was born at Stonington, Connecticut, September 26, 1781 ; moved to Massachusetts and married, October 13, 1808, Jennie, daugh- ter of Jonathan McGee, of Colerain; went in 1814 to Herkimer county, New York, whence he came in 1839 to Whitewater; died May 16, 1864. Mrs. Williams was one day younger than Captain Williams. She died February II, 1880. She was truly a pioneer mother-all the village her debtor for end- less kind offices. Two children died young. Asad Dean Williams married Cynthia, daughter of William Powers and Susannah Cooper, and niece of Soldan Powers, of Troy. Jonathan McGee Williams (born 1820) married Sarah O., daughter of Dr. Thomas Hamilton and Sarah Armstrong and had sons Leo A., Frank H., Charles M. The first, ex-superintendent of schools, and the third are lawyers. The second, for many years town clerk, is on the home farm, near the city. Nathan married Betsey A. Allen and had children George W., Alma, Cassius C., Linn A., Leona B. Captain Asad Williams was a locally famous musician, and his sons Nathan and Thomas W. were for long widely famous performers on wind and string instruments.
DAVID WILLIAMS, son of Thorp Williams and Clarissa Peters, was born at Darien, New York, January 6, 1818; married September 4, 1838, Adelia, daughter of Daniel Phelps and Elizabeth King; came to Geneva in 1846; was twice a member of the county board; assemblyman in 1858, elected over Charles W. Smith : moved to Darien in 1868 and was for many years a justice of the peace. Mr. Williams was a steady-minded, generally sound-judging, neighborly man, a fair parliamentarian, an excellent Masonic workman, and an unshaken believer in the doctrine and revelations of spiritualismn. He died February 7. 1898. His wife was born at Alexander, New York, April 18, 1820, died April 22, 1897. They had two children.
GEORGE G. WILLIAMS, son of Thomas and Elizabeth, was born at Corn- wall, Orange county. New York, October 15, 1803 : married at Athens, Greene county, November 7, 1824, Harriet C. Fitch; came in 1847 to Whitewater, and presently invested in pottery making. He was for several years a justice of the peace, and from 1860 to 1867 was postmaster-appointed by Mr. Bu- chanan. He served a term as trustee of the State School for the Deaf. His death was August 8, 1889.
ISRAEL WILLIAMS, son of Ephraim, was born September 24. 1789, per- haps at Ashfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts, of which village his father was one of the founders. He married Lavina, daughter of Lieut. Nehemiah Joy, Jr., and wife Hannah. Her mother came with her to Linn and died September 10, 1838, aged seventy-seven years. The earlier generations of this Joy family were Thomas1, Joseph2 3, Simeon', Nehemiah" and wife Miriam
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Turner. Mr. Williams brought his family in 1837 to a log house on section 18, of Linn. In 1841 he built a frame house on section 6, besides the bay of his name. He died October 14, 1846. Lavina was born August, 1781 ; died June 28. 1852. At least four of their sons came with or before them to Linn and Walworth: Moses Daniel, Israel. Royal Joy, Festus A. Other children were Francis, Lavina. Austin, Hannah, Fordyce.
ROYAL JOY WILLIAMS (named for his mother's brother, Dr. Royal Joy) was born at Ashfield May 1, 1818; came to Linn in 1836; married April 5, 1848, Lucretia S., daughter of Samuel. Warren and Abigail Williams; died August 26. 1886, at Williams Bay.
LUCIUS A. WINCHESTER, son of David D. Winchester and Susan Wil- son, was born at Hartford, Vermont, September 22, 1821 ; became a black- smith, and came in 1843 to Milwaukee ; in 1844 came to Whitewater and took James Rogers as shop-partner. In 1850 he married Lucy A. Wakeley (who died February. 1861) ; in the same year he began plow making in partnership successively with Daniel C. Tripp, William DeWolf and John S. Partridge, and in 1864 added wagon-making to his growing business. In 1873 was formed the Winchester & Partridge Manufacturing Company, which added materially to the general prosperity of the otherwise enterprising village. His second wife was Charlotte E., daughter of Moses and Charlotte Clarke. He died April 9, 1890.
HORATIO SALES WINSOR. son of Matthewson and Nancy P. Winsor, was born in Rhode Island, December 21. 1815. His parents moved to Ontario county, New York, and gave him an academic education. He began to study law, finishing his preparation at Elkhorn, whither he came in 1839, and was admitted to practice in 1841. He was county treasurer 1842-4, and chairman of the county board in 1851. From 1850 to 1869 he and Ilarley F. Smith were of one of the strongest law-firms of the county. In 1865 he was a member of Assembly, elected as a Union candidate over Harvey M. Curtiss. In 1880 he formed a new partnership with a younger man, Edward H. Sprague. He died at Mitchell, South Dakota, January 23, 1892. Maria L. Husted, his wife, was born September 14, 1824; married January 1, 1846; died December 7, 1890. Their daughter, Ella M. died 1867, at eighteen. Their sons were Curtis Husted, Frank Horatio and Ed., all in South Dakota. and the first two are lawyers.
CHRISTOPHER WISWELL was youngest but one of eight children of Henry Wiswell and Elizabeth Salter. Captain Wiswell, with Zenas Crane and John Fox, began about 1800 to make paper at Dalton, Massachusetts, and from this beginning was developed the present Crane paper-mill, known throughout
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WALWORTHI COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
the country for its bond paper and other fine products. Christopher was born January 1, 1811, and about a year later his father died. Edward Salter took his sister and her children to Chenango county. In time, Leonard and Chris- topher owned a tannery at Norwich. In 1840 the brothers Zenas Crane, Leonard and Christopher, and their sisters, Mary (Mrs. Sutherland German) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Solomon Lewis), came west-all but the first to La- fayette or Sugar Creek. Christopher had married August 12, 1837, Almira, daughter of Stephen G. West, Sr., and Rebecca Pike. Mr. Wiswell was a good farmer, and in 1865 he was able to lay aside plow and hoe, sign national bank notes and fill various village offices at Elkhorn. He died March 3, 1883, two days later than his wife's death. She was born February 9, 1817. Their eight children, who lived, were Jeannette Rebecca (Mrs. William P. Ells- worth), Henry Christopher, Charles Edward (died in military service), Philip Stephen (married Mary L. Ilarriman), Frances Almira ( Mrs. Everett C. Rouse ), Jane Maria (Mrs. William L. Holden), George Nelson (married Clara M. Perry), Jessie Leora (Mrs. Frank H. Winsor ).
LEWIS N. WOOD was born in Cumberland county, New Jersey, January 12, 1799; lived in Otsego, Madison and Oneida counties ; was principal of the Waterville Academy in 1832; was graduated as a physician from Geneva in 1837 : came to Walworth in 1839; was an early mover in school matters and served as town superintendent : in 1848 was defeated by George Il. Lawn for assemblyman; elected over John W. Boyd in 1851 ; defeated by Timothy H. Fellows in 1852; moved to Baraboo in 1856: died in 1868. He married Naomi Davis and had eight children, three of whom died in the county, while the others went with him from the county. Dr. Wood was a collector of fossil remains and of mineral specimens.
CAPT. GEORGE YOUNG, son of Rev. John Young (of the Lutheran church) and Christiana Vought, was born at Hagerstown in 1773; went to Schenectady county and married Anna (or Nancy ). daughter of Capt. Hen- drick Waldron and Margaretta Van Vranken; came in 1843 to Elkhorn and died in August, 1844. Of fourteen children, four died young or were unknown here but by names. The others were: Margaret, Mary ( Mrs. Lewis Free- man ), Jean C. (Mrs. John Pike), Gertrude ( Mrs. George Gale ), Anne ( Mrs. William Vanderpool), Dr. George Henry. John, Catherine ( Mrs. Thomas Liddle ), Jacob Hollenbeck, and Dr. William MeKowan Young. Margaretta V'an Vranken was daughter of Richard Van Vranken and Anneke Truax, whose father. Aham, was son of Isaac Truax and Trytje Rasborne: Trytje's parents were Pieter Jacobus Rasborne and Mariche Bogardus, whose father, Pieter, was son of Rev. Everardus Bogardus and Anneke, widow of Roelof Jansen.
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GEORGE HENRY YOUNG, son of Capt. George and Nancy, was born at Duanesburg, New York, March 18, 1817; studied medicine at Schenectady. New York, and at Fairfield ( Herkimer county), and was graduated from Castleton in 1837. Among his preceptors was Dr. Theodrick Romeyn Beck, and among classmates was Dr. Nathan S. Davis, for long of the Chicago Medical College. He practiced a few years in Albany and Schoharie counties, and came in 1843 to Elkhorn. He had married, March 21, 1838, Hester, daughter of Peter and Ann Hilton. Doctor Young was a student of his pro- fession until the end of his life, and seemed to keep easily in step with the advance of medical knowledge. He died December 28, 1891. Mrs. Young was born at Sharon, New York, October 24, 1817: died December 31. 1894. Their son. George H., follows his father's profession. A bright boy died in 1864. in his ninth year. There were daughters: Ann, Mary, Hester, Helen.
THE NEW YOF PUBLIC FIBRAS;
ASTOR, LEICY TILDEN FC . DA. ..
ALBERT C. BECKWITH
BIOGRAPHICAL
ALBERT CLAYTON BECKWITH.
Albert Clayton Beckwith, the eldest of ten children of Asahel Lane Beck- with and Harriet Angeline Seymour, was born at Chittenango, New York. March 14, 1836; lived at Rome (Oneida county) from 1843 to 1855 and there he and a brother were bred to their father's calling of house and sign, painter; came in 1855 to Adrian, Michigan, for employment as a brakeman ; in 1856 to Racine, and in the same year to Delavan and Elkhorn Two brothers having enlisted in April, 1861, he did likewise at Cedar Falls, Iowa, two days before Bull Run, and was honorably discharged from the First Iowa Battery in April, 1863, at Young's Point, Louisiana. He worked at his calling from 1864 to 1873 at Chicago, and returned to Elkhorn. He had married. April 17. 1870, Isidore Adelaide, daughter of Nathaniel Dickinson and Phila Foster. Of two children, Constance Dickinson is (in 1912) assist . ant to the county school superintendent, and Mabel Foster is a teacher at Elkhorn.
Mr. Beckwith is a member of Delavan Masonic Lodge, of the Grand Army Post at Elkhorn, of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and is a Son of the American Revolution. In 1910 he undertook the compilation of the historical department of this work. In performing this unwonted task he found kindly-given and indispensable help from county officers, town, village, and city clerks, clergymen and keepers of church records, and from many old friends and new ones ; but this is only to say that he was among men and women who have made and are making one of the best counties of one of the best of forty-eight states.
Between 1897 and 1907 his brother. Edward Seymour Beckwith ( 1837- 1900). with himself compiled and printed eight genealogical pamphlets, their total contents four hundred and ninety pages. Six of these were of a series of Beckwith Notes, relating to descendants of their immigrant ancestors. Matthew Beckwith ( 1610-1680) and wife Mary, of Hartford. New London. and Lyme, Connecticutt. The younger compiler was a tireless tabulator of
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genealogical data, in collecting which he developed noteworthy ingenuity. Besides, he knew something of the service and military reputation of most Federal regiments of the Civil war, and much generally and particularly of the organization and service of Wisconsin regiments and batteries. He had found. too, much interest in minor local records, no inconsiderable part of which. by copying or otherwise, he had saved from destruction. His various notes have supplied much of value to this compilation. Though no more than his elder brother a trained writer, his letters were easy, graphic, racy, and he had his grandfather Seymour's knack of satirical rhyming. In grained imitations of native and imported woods his forms and colorings were careful studies of nature's endless variety, and his work was known at New York, Detroit. Lansing ( state house ), Chicago, and Milwaukec.
HORACE GREELEY DOUGLASS.
The examples such men as Horace Greeley Douglass, the popular ex- mayor of the city of Lake Geneva, furnish of patient purpose and steadfast integrity strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting even in a casual way to their achievements in advancing the interests of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the institutions which make so much for the prosperity of the community, for, all will agree that it is the progressive. broad-minded, alert, wide-awake men of affairs who make the real history of a community and the subject's influence as a potential factor of the body politic is difficult to estimate.
Mr. Douglass was born at the town of Fontana, near the west shore of Lake Geneva, this county, on November 12, 1858. He is the son of Carlos Lavalette Douglass and Margaret (Stewart) Douglass, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Suffice it to say here that this family has been prominent in the county since pioneer days.
The subject grew up at Fontana and in his youth worked with his father in the flour mill there, the latter owning the mills, remaining in this work until he was about twenty-four years old. The father also owned a fine farm of three hundred and sixty acres, which he kept well stocked; this the son took charge of when the father retired from active life, and the son now owns the place. He remained there successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising until about 1887, then came to Lake Geneva and entered the milling
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
business. the ins and outs of which he had long previously mastered. He operated the old Geneva mill, the first mill in this county run by water power. He continued to operate the old mill about four years, then bought ground along the railroad, and he and Mr. Dunn, his brother-in-law, built an elevator and ran that for eleven years, doing a large business in this line. Selling the elevator to John E. Burton, they went to Williams Bay and embarked in the lumber and coal business with Mr. Dunn, under the firm name of Douglass & Dunn. They had a good business both at Williams Bay and at Zenda. About 1907 Mr. Douglass sold his interest to Mr. Dunn and he has not been engaged in active business affairs since. He made a success of whatever he turned his attention to and accumulated a competency. He has a commodious and at- tractive home at Lake Geneva.
Politically, Mr. Douglass is a loyal Republican and has long been active in party affairs. He has been a member of the school board at Lake Geneva for two years and in the spring of 1908. he was elected mayor of Lake Geneva, his time expiring in June, 1912. His administration has been char- acterized by a progressive, fair and broad-minded policy which has met the hearty approval of all concerned, and he has done much toward the permanent good of the city.
Mr. Douglass was married to Katherine Dunn, daughter of Patrick and Ann (Murray) Dunn, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. She was born and reared in the town of Linn, this county, where her parents set- tled in pioneer days. Four children, two sons and two daughters, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Douglass, namely : Ruth, Harold. Josephine and Howard, all at home with their parents, Harold being engaged in the coal business at Lake Geneva.
Fraternally, Mr. Douglass is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
Mr. Douglass owns the family homestead and on that ground is a flag staff, marking the spot where Brink and Jeauno, a half-breed Indian, stood when they discovered Geneva lake- the first white man who saw the lake. He and Jeauno were surveying for the government. Mr. Douglass got this information directly from Mr. Brink and it was corroborated by others. On the same ground Chief Big Foot's son was buried high in a tree, then after- wards taken down and placed in another tree near the lake shore.
From Mr. Douglass' home he can see the whole of Lake Geneva, from end to end with the exception of Williams Bay and Geneva Bay, and a view of the lake from the old home is a sight which is calculated to remain in one's memory through life. On the farm is a great spring of excellent water,
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which analysis has shown to be the same as White Rock. It is sold for drink- ing purposes and shipped to offices, stores and homes, finding a very ready sale.
Personally, Mr. Douglass is a sociable, genial and obliging gentleman whom it is a pleasure to meet, and he is held in the highest esteem by all who know him.
JUDGE JAY FORREST LYON.
Jay Forrest Lyon was born on November 6, 1862, at Darien, this county, and is a son of Joseph F. and Arimathea (Jones) Lyon. The Lyon pedigree has been traced back to William Lyon, of Roxbury, England, who, at the age of fourteen, September 11, 1635, embarked in the "Hopewell," in which he reached Massachusetts after a tedious voyage of many weeks. He there grew to manhood and married Sarah Ruggles, daughter of John and Mary (Cur- tis) Ruggles. To William Lyon and wife a son was born, whom they named William. He grew up and married Sarah Duncan, and to them Samuel was born on September 20, 1679; he married Joanna, daughter of John and Hannah (Prentice) Weld. To Samuel and Joanna Lyon a son, Edward, was born, December 24, 1710, at Roxbury, who married Rebecca Boyden, and to them a son, David, was born in 1739, whose son, Isaac, was born at Royalston and married Sally Blodgett and to them Joseph F. Lyon, father of Judge Lyon, was born.
Sally Blodgett's ancestry is as follows: She was in the seventh genera- tion of the Blodgett family. The first of the name of whom we have definite record was Thomas Blodgett and his wife Susanna, who emigrated to America from London, England, in 1635 on the old-fashioned sailing vessel "Increase," accompanied by their sons, Daniel and Samuel. The family settled at Cam- bridge, Massachusetts. Their son Samuel married Lucy Locke and settled at Woburn. Samuel's son, Thomas, married Rebecca Tidd, and they named a son Samuel, who married Mary Russell, and to this union a son, Timothy, was born, August 7, 1740, who married Millicent Perry, and their son, Joseph, born in 1776. married Thankful Hawkins and lived at Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire. To them a daughter, Sally, was born in 1800, who married Isaac Lyon, and was the mother of Joseph F. Lyon, who was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1825. When nineteen ycars of age, in 1844, he started from his home in the Keystone state to Illinois, traveling most of the way on foot. Ile reached Little Foot ( Fort?), now Waukegan, where he found employment as clerk in a store. Soon he induced his father's family to come west. He remained at Little Foot (Fort?) until 1850, then moved to
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Woodstock, Illinois, and engaged in the mercantile business until 1854. then removed to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and established his home in the town of Darien. Having previously studied law with Mr. Blodgett in Wau- kegan, he continued his legal studies while engaged as a commercial traveler for a New York clothing house, having been thus engaged from 1852 until 1855. While living at Woodstock he was appointed postmaster by President Fillmore and served in that capacity three years. He was also engaged at times in the practice of law in justice courts. On July 26, 1854, he was united in marriage with Arimathea Jones, daughter of Truman Jones, this family having come here in 1838 among the early pioneers, and for some time Mrs. Lyon was one of the early teachers of the county.
In the spring of 1859 Joseph F. Lyon went overland with an ox team to California. and returned in 1860, resuming the study of law at Darien, and was admitted to the bar in 1864 in the circuit court of Walworth county. He was successful as an attorney and was prominent in local politics. He was a representative from this county in the Legislature in 1868. He continued to practice law in Darien until 1875. when he was appointed clerk of the circuit court to fill a vacancy. He was afterward elected to the same office, which he held until January 1. 1878. Upon his appointment to this office he removed to Elkhorn. and here he continued to reside after his term of office had expired, and here he practiced law the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1902. His wife died on November 7. 1872. leaving three children. . \. May. Vernette M. and Jay Forrest. While a resident of Darien Joseph F. Lyon served as chairman of the county board of supervisors for two years. He was elected justice of the peace in Elkhorn, and was clerk of the Elkhorn schools. He was twice married. his last wife being Amelia Dodge, daughter of Leander and Harriet Dodge. She was born at Darien, this county, in 1840, her parents having been early settlers there. She died in 1906.
Judge Jay F. Lyon was thirteen years of age when his parents moved to Elkhorn. Here he attended the public schools, graduating from the high school in 1880. He soon afterwards took a position as stenographer in the offices of the Chicago. St. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha railroad, working in their general offices in St. Paul, Minnesota, for four years, and while there met the lady who later became his wife. Not finding railroading entirely to his liking and having long desiredt to follow in the footsteps of his father in a professional way. he entered the Boston University School of Law. from which he was graduated in 1888. Thus well equipped for his chosen life work, he at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Elkhorn with his father, and
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they continued in partnership until 1899. In January of that year the subject was appointed county judge to fill out an unexpired term, and was re-elected to this office in 1901, and again in 1905 and 1909. for terms of four years each.
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