USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth county, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 15
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or wayside inn, and he was a most genial host to the travelers of those wilder- ness days.
Amos Baker and wife went from Arlington, Vermont, to Schuyler coun- ty, New York, and settled near Watkins, where he died. Their family con- sisted of four children, all now deceased. They were, Harvey, of this sketch; Althea, who died in infancy; Harmon, who became a music teacher, died in early manhood; Marilla married Amos Royce and she died in Watkins, New York, at an advanced age.
Harvey Baker was reared on the farm and was educated in the public schools. He taught school for some time in his young manhood days, and for some time he engaged in merchandising at Pawlet, Rutland county, Vermont, later came to Pulaski, Oswego county, New York, where he continued merchandising. He also owned a farm near Pulaski, and in 1846 he came to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where he took up land, later buying other land until he became the owner of three hundred and seventy acres of valuable land, and in 1855 he sold out and came to Rock county, locating on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, three and one-half miles southwest of Whitewater, where his death occurred in 1863.
Politically, Mr. Baker was a Whig early in life, later a Republican. He served as justice of the peace in Lima township, Rock county, but he never sought political offices. He was always active in educational affairs.
Harvey Baker was married in 1833 to Marietta Clark, who was born in Pawlet, Vermont, September 26, 1813. She was the daughter of Ozias and Rachel (Fitch) Clark, who spent their lives at Pawlet, Vermont. Marietta Clark was a sister of John Clark, father of Charles M. Clark, mentioned in this work.
Ozias Clark was the son of Capt. Elisha Clark, of the Revolutionary war, and Rachel (Fitch) Clark was the daughter of Col. William Fitch, from Lebanon, Connecticut, who was one of the earliest settlers, and most prominent citizens of the town of Pawlet. He was employed to furnish sup- plies to the troops raised to repel the invasion of Burgoyne in 1777.
To Harvey Baker and wife five children were born, namely: Frances, who was drowned in 1839, when five years old; Augusta M., born in Oswego county, New York, January 20, 1838, came to Wisconsin with her parents and was educated in the public schools of New York, and the Fond du Lac Seminary, and she taught school for a number of years in the county of Fond du Lac, also in Rock county and the city of Whitewater. She married, in 1867, Raymond C. Shepard, of Whitewater, and they have one son, Frank R. Shepard, born in Whitewater, on November 7. 1878. He was an agent in a
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local express office for a number of years, but is now working for his uncle, Louis C. Baker, in the hardware business in Whitewater. Rollin H. Baker, fourth child born to Harvey Baker and wife, was born on November 30, 1848. at Pulaski, New York, and is now farming in Whitewater township, this county. Frances Grace Baker, the third child in order of birth, was born at Pulaski, New York, October 30, 1840, and her death occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, February 22, 1871. Louis Clark Baker, youngest of the family, is in the mercantile business in Whitewater, and he has a separate sketch in this volume.
FRANK L. HENN.
From the period in our history known as the colonial epoch to the present time the German citizens have been coming to our shores, and, ever finding here the gates ajar to our ports of entry, and an extended welcoming hand, they have been quick to seize the great opportunities that have ever existed here for the strong of heart and hand. They have proved to be among our very best foreign-born citizens, have not only been thrifty and industrious in whatever line they attempted, but have been true to our institutions, loyal in the support of the same and whenever the nation called for defenders in any cause they have thronged our regiments and deported themselves most admirably on the field of battle. Thus they have benefited us and we them. and our nation is further advanced today than it would have been had they not deigned to take up their homes within our borders to the extent of hun- dreds of thousands.
One of this vast horde who has honored Walworth county with his residence is Frank L. Henn, who, after a long, busy and successful life, finds himself very comfortably situated in the town of Sharon. He was born in Baden, Germany, on February 25, 1839. He is the son of F. A. and Cath- erina (Frederick) Henn, both natives of Germany, where they grew to ma- turity and were married, and spent their lives in the Fatherland; however, the father made a visit of two years to the United States. He was a rope-maker by trade, which he followed all his life, and at the time of his marriage he purchased a small farm, and followed farming in connection with his trade for many years. He and his wife are both now deceased.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Henn, named as follows : Franciscon, deceased; Frank L., of this sketch; Barbara lives in Germany ; Louisa is deceased ; Grecens lives in Germany.
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Frank L. Henn, of this review, spent his boyhood in the fatherland and attended the public schools there. He was fifteen years old when he emi- grated to the United States and he first settled in Burlington, Wisconsin, in 1854, remaining there about two and one-half years, then went to Racine where he spent an equal length of time, then came to Sharon, Walworth county. He learned the harness-making trade when a young man and has made it his life work, being still engaged in the same vocation in the town of Sharon. He is an expert in this line and his output has always been eagerly sought, owing to the superior quality of his workmanship.
Politically, Mr. Henn is a Democrat and has been more or less active in public affairs. He was appointed postmaster at Sharon in 1894, the duties of which office he discharged for a period of four years in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of the people and the department.
Mr. Henn was married in April, 1862, to Mary Stupfel, daughter of John Stupfel, a highly respected German family of this county. Mrs. Henn is now deceased. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Henn, named as follows: Elizabeth, Ada, Katherine, all at home; Francis John and Paul are both in Chicago.
WILLIAM J. MARKEL.
Among the citizens of Sharon, Walworth county, who have had an inter- esting career and who are eminently entitled to mention in a work of this nature is William J. Markel, partly because he is one of our sterling pioneers who came here in the days when there was much work to be done before harvests could be gathered from the primeval soil, and partly because he was one of the brave boys of the Northland who gave up the pleasures of home and business prospects and offered their services and lives if need be, to the government "in order that the nation, under God, might live," and whether in the heat of battle or in the serene duties of private citizen he has ever per- formed his tasks energetically and commendably.
Mr. Markel was born on August 15, 1840, in Schoharie county, New York. He is the son of Peter and Catherine (Totten) Markel, natives of the state of New York, where they grew up and married and made their home until 1844 when they emigrated to Sharon township, Walworth county, Wis- consin, and here bought a farm of twenty acres, a little later eighty acres, and on this he farmed the rest of his life, dying in 1903. His wife died at the age
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of seventy-one years. They were the parents of eight children, named as follows: William J., of this review; Charles, of Sharon; George, of Shar- on; Oliver lives at Rockford, Illinois; David lives at Sharon; Gilbert is deceased; John is deceased ; the youngest, a daughter, died in infancy.
William J. Markel, of this sketch, received his education in the schools of Sharon and in Allen's Grove Academy. He began farming early in life and when the Civil war broke out he wanted to enlist, but it did not suit to do so before January 4. 1864, and he was mustered into service on the 12th of that month. He was not in any of the great battles, but was in a number of skirmishes. He enlisted for three years, but was discharged at the close of the war, at Nashville, Tennessee, May 23, 1865, having been a private in Company C, Thirteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.
After his career in the army Mr. Markel returned to Walworth county and. resumed farming which he continued successfully until 1905, when he sold out to his son George and retired from the active duties of life, moving to Sharon, where he now resides.
Mr. Markel is a Republican, and he was treasurer in the town of Sharon for one term. He is a member of the Lutheran church. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, Duane Patent Post No. 270, of Sharon.
On January 5, 1863, Mr. Markel was united in marriage with Lucinda Totten, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Perkins) Totten, natives of the state of New York, and to this union three children have been born, namely : Delbert, of Sharon; George, of Sharon township; Mrs. Cora May Boyce, wife of Henry Boyce, of Sharon.
HENRY CLARK BUELL.
Each man who strives to fulfill his part in connection with human life and human activities is deserving of recognition, whatever may be his field of endeavor, and it is the function of works of this nature to prepare for future generations an authentic record concerning those represented in its pages, and the value of such publications is certain to be cumulative for all time to come, showing forth the individual and specific accomplishments of which generic history is ever engendered. The record of the honored pioneer, Henry Clark Buell, of Linn township, Walworth county, is worthy of perpet- uation on the pages of history as we will readily ascertain by a study of the same in the following paragraphs.
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Mr. Buell was born in Plymouth, Chenango county, New York, Decem- ber 20, 1832. He is the son of Ira and Chloe (Holcomb) Buell. Ira Buell was born in New Hampshire and Chloe Holcomb was a native of Connecticut. The Buell family is descended from William Buell, who was born at Chester- ton in Huntingdonshire, England, in 1610, and he came to America and set- tled at Dorchester, Massachusetts, then moved to Windsor, that state, where his death occurred in 1681. His son Samuel was born at Windsor, Connec- ticut, September 2, 1641, and his death occurred on July II, 1720. He had a son, Gen. Samuel Buell, born at Windsor, July 20, 1663, and died March 2, 1732; his eleventh child was Joseph Buell, born at Killingsworth, August 24, 1710. Joseph's tenth child, Thomas, was born at Somer, Connecticut, May 15, 1756, and died at Lebanon, New York, October 1, 1820. He married Irene Blodgett, daughter of Capt. John Blodgett, of Hartford, Connecticut. Ira Buell was the sixth child of Thomas Buell and he was born at Newport, New Hampshire, January 10, 1791. When six years old he moved with his parents to Madison county, New York, which was then considered on the western frontier. There Ira Buell grew up and helped clear and develop his father's farm. Upon reaching manhood he moved to the adjoining county of Chenango, and located in the town of Plymouth, where he continued to re- side with the exception of three years in Earlville, Madison county, until he came to Wisconsin. It was among the pleasant Plymouth hills that the great- er part of his active life was spent, and there he was married in 1816 to Chloe Holcomb, a young woman of such exceptional looks and character as to win the soubriquet, "Chloe the beautiful." There their children were born and reared and there he commenced his course of Christian life, which he maintained faithfully as long as he lived. Their children were: Joseph Sidney, Harriet A., Persis A., Helen M., William Ira, Henry C. and Charles Edwin.
In 1846 Sidney Buell came to Walworth county, Wisconsin, on a visit and here he taught school for a time, then returned to New York and on September 1, 1847, he started back to Wisconsin with about five hundred sheep, which he drove all the way here, assisted by John Mckibben, who was born and reared in the same place as Sidney Buell, and became a prominent citizen of this county. That was the first drove of sheep brought into this part of Walworth county. Sidney Buell located in section 30, Bloomfield township, having been ninety-six days making the journey from New York here. Sidney also located a farm for his father in section 25, Linn township, and in 1849 Ira Buell, wife and children, Henry, Edwin and Persis, the last named later becoming Mrs. Gen. J. W. Boyd, came to this country. William
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had taken up his residence here in 1848, in Bloomfield township, and lived there many years.
After their arrival Ira Buell and family made their home in Linn town- ship as long as he lived. He and his wife celebrated their silver and golden wedding anniversaries. In the autumn of 1866, they celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage. At that time six of their seven children had settled near the parental home. These parents were generous, benevolent, upright people, and there was no discord in their home. Mr. Buell was a strong opponent of slavery, and he performed all his duties in the light of Christian principle.
Major Ira Buell died in 1874 and the death of Mrs. Chloe (Holcomb) Buell occurred in 1884. Sidney Buell lived in Bloomfield township for a num- ber of years, then moved to Lake Geneva and there spent the rest of his life. Harriet A. Buell married George Allen and lived in Linn township all her life; Persis married Gen. J. W. Boyd, as before stated, and a sketch of them appears elsewhere in this work; Helen married Leander Mudge, in July, 1847 : she lived at Randalia, Iowa, until late in life, then in 1893 she and her husband moved to California, where Mr. Mudge died, after which she re- turned to her old home in Wisconsin, on a visit, and died at the home of General Boyd in Linn township. William Ira Buell lived in Bloomfield town- ship all his life and died in Genoa Junction ; Charles Edwin and Henry C. are the only two survivors of the family; the former lives at Hollywood, Cali- fornia, a suburb of Los Angeles; the latter lived on his father's farm and came here in 1849 with his father, and he has lived on the old homestead in Linn township for sixty-two years. Henry C. Buell has been very successful- as a general farmer and stock raiser, and he is the owner of a fine farm of three hundred and seventy acres of well-improved and productive land, on which are two fine residences and large substantial barns and other outbuild- ings.
In early life Henry C. Buell began sheep raising. His sons are now raising pure-bred hogs and cattle.
Henry C. Buell was married in 1862 to Mary E. Thacher, daughter of Alfred and Susannah (Baker) Thacher. She was born August II, 1844, at Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Susannah (Baker) Thacher was the daughter of Ebenezer and Susannah (Crowell) Baker. Through the Crowell family she traces back to John Crowell, who came to America from England in 1635 and settled in Charleston, Massachusetts, removing from there to Yarmouth in 1638, and who became a freeman in 1640; he died at an advanced age in 1673. His son John lived and died in Yarmouth. John had a son, John,
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born at Yarmouth in 1662, who moved to Salem, Massachusetts, and died there. He had a son, William, who married Susanna Mercury, October 26, 1726; their granddaughter or great-granddaughter, Susanna Crowell, born at Hyanis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, in 1801, married Ebenezer Baker, men- tioned above.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Buell have three sons, namely: Henry Clark Buell, Jr., born May 28, 1866, is superintendent of schools at Janesville, Wisconsin; he married, in 1895, Henrietta Opie and they have three children, Bessie, Harold and Donald. Ralph Buell, born April 9, 1877, lives in a house near that of his father and assists in running the home farm; he was mar- ried in 1905 to Tena Knudson, and they have two children living, Henrietta and Robert. Laurence Buell, born March 31, 1879, married, in 1904, Clara Matson, and they have two children, Thomas and Virginia; Lawrence is assisting his father and brother Ralph operate the home farm, and they are making a success as general farmers and stock raisers.
The subject and wife belong to the Congregational church at Lake Geneva in which Mr. Buell has been a deacon many years. He cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, and he has been a loyal Republican from the organization of the party in 1856. In 1866 he delivered the Fourth of July oration in his neighborhood. He is a man of good habits and he has always stood high in his neighborhood.
DR. ALEXANDER SHELDON PALMER.
No name from the annals of the past in this section of Wisconsin is worthier of perpetuation on the pages of history than that of Dr. Alexander Sheldon Palmer, who has long been sleeping serenely in God's acre, a dream- less slumber from which no one ever wakes to toil or trouble, but his influ- ence still pervades the lives of his old contemporaries who have survived, for he was a strong and commendable character and did a world of good in the pioneer days here when the country was sparsely settled, roads were bad, dangers many and hardships the rule.
Dr. Palmer was born in Connecticut, but in childhood he was brought to Schoharie county, New York, where he grew to manhood. He was the son of Dr. Hosea Palmer, of Utica, New York, under whom he studied medicine, later attending a medical college at Pen Yan, New York. Upon his gradua- tion there he began practicing with his father at Utica and also at Whites-
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boro. They also spent nearly two years at Lebanon, Illinois, about twenty- five miles from St. Louis, but they later returned to New York. This was a family of physicians. Dr. A. S. Palmer's brother, Napoleon Palmer, was president of the Kings County (New York ) Medical Society at Brooklyn.
Dr. Alexander S. Palmer married Jane Sears, who came from New London, Connecticut, that being the site of the historic Fort Griswold massa- cre, and an ancestor of the Doctor's, Colonel Ledgard, was wounded by a cowardly thrust of a sword, and from that the old legend of the "bloody shirt" started.
Jane Sears was the daughter of James Sears, and her people were early- day settlers and merchants at New London. Her father and the mother's father, Hazzard, were in business there when Benedict Arnold made his raid on the town and destroyed the stores and business houses. Colonel Ledgard was run through with a sword by the dastardly British commander when the former presented his sword to the latter in token of surrender. Colonel Ledgard was then taken to the home of Jane Sears' ancestor. Her brother, James Sears, was also a physician.
Dr. Palmer of this review came to Wisconsin in 1847, by boat by way of the Great Lakes, landing at Kenosha, and, having brought his carriage on boat, he drove the rest of the way to Lake Geneva. Here he rented a house, intending to go to Milwaukee in a few months. However, he found practice good here, so he remained and had all he could do for nearly a half century.
Politically, Doctor Palmer was a Democrat, and in 1850 he was elected to the Legislature of Wisconsin. In 1860 he was nominated lieut- tenant-governor on the ticket with his friend, Harrison C. Hobart, who ran for governor, but they were defeated with the rest of the ticket that year. He served two years as president of the village board in Lake Geneva, and while living in New York he was postmaster. As a public official he performed his duties ably, conscientiously and faithfully, winning the hearty approval of all.
Doctor Palmer had no children of his own, but he adopted Jennie Hub- bard, daughter of Mrs. Palmer's sister. She married Franklin Asbury Buck- bee, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this work.
Dr. Palmer's abilities, both in professional and private life, were early recognized by people of this vicinity, and he was a man of much influence, a leader in the political party whose principles he espoused, and sufficiently popular among men of all classes here to overcome hostile majorities on all occasions when he would consent to run for office. As a member of the General Assembly from this district in 1850 he won the hearty commendation of all classes, and as president of the village of Lake Geneva in 1857 he made
ยท
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such a splendid record that he was re-elected the following year, but declined to serve. In 1859 and the two following years he was elected and served as chairman of supervisors, and in all these positions he gave entire satisfaction to his constituents. His death at the comparatively early age of fifty-five years was a serious loss to the community and was universally regretted. He passed away in September, 1864. his widow surviving until 1884. The Doctor was a member of the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
WILLIAM KOEPPEN.
Among the thrifty and enterprising Germans who have left their ances- tral halls in the old country and cast their lot with the people of Walworth county, Wisconsin, and through their persistency have established good homes and become a credit to the community, the name of William Koeppen, of Williams Bay, must necessarily be included, as all who know him best will readily acquiesce.
Mr. Koeppen was born in Rebelow Kreis, Anklam, Pommern, Germany, October 12, 1860. He is the son of Carl and Marie ( Metzerknecht ) Koeppen. Her father grew up in Germany and when a young man worked at farming. When he was twenty-two years old he emigrated to America, celebrating his birthday on the Atlantic ocean, en route to the shores of the New World. He arrived at Elkhorn, Wisconsin, in October, 1882, and began working out as a farm hand, which he continued for four years in order to get a start. On December 23, 1886, he married Minnie Desing, daughter of John Desing and wife, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. After his mar- riage he rented a farm on the shares and began farming for himself. He farmed on the old Desing homestead near Elkhorn until the fall of 1904, then moved to Williams Bay, where he followed teaming about four years, then went back to the farm for three years. On August 28, 1911, he bought the restaurant at Williams Bay and this he has continued to run successfully to the present time, having maintained his home here the meanwhile. They have a pleasant. well equipped and neatly kept restaurant which is well pat- ronized, in fact there is no better in the county, and they cater to high class trade.
Three children have been born to Mr. Koeppen and wife, namely: Will- iam, born October 31, 1887; Henrietta, born November 20, 1890, and Erna, born August 13, 1892, who was married May 1, 1912. to Rudolph Johnson.
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM KOEPPEN
PUB
ASTOR LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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Mr. Koeppen belongs to the Equitable Fraternal Union and the Modern Woodmen. He and his family are members of the Lutheran church at Elkhorn.
Mr. Koeppen's sister, Minnie, came with him to America, and here she married Ernest Gehrand and they live at the village of Springfield, this county. The rest of the Koeppen family came to the United States in the spring of 1885, and established their home north of Geneva. The mother's death oc- curred in July, 1888, and the father is now living on a farm in Lafayette township. The other brothers and sisters of the subject, all of whom came to America with the parents, are Frederica, now the wife of Herman Miller, lives in north Geneva; Bertha married Julius Peglow and lives in Beloit, Wis- consin; Frank, who lives in Elkhorn, married Julia Koch, and he is a car- penter by trade; Max married Emily Hensel and lives on the farm with his father in Lafayette township; Mary is the wife of Henry Belk and lives on a farm in Lafayette township.
The Koeppen family has been highly respected ever since coming to this county by all with whom they have come into contact, and they have suc- ceeded in a material way, all now very comfortably situated.
WALTER ALLEN.
Success in one of the most exacting of professions has been worthily at- tained by Walter Allen, representative of an excellent and well-known old Walworth county family, for he has been ambitious from the first and has labored arduously to attain the goal of his ambitions, and his career is a worthy example of what may be accomplished through earnestness, coupled with sound common sense and right principles.
Mr. Allen was born in Lebanon, Madison county, New York, March 28, 1850. He is the son of George Allen and wife, a complete sketch of whom appears on another page of this work.
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