USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth county, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 60
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Mr. Cusack was married on May 16, 1894, to Ella Dormody, daughter of Martin and Margaret Dormody, both natives of Ireland. To the subject and wife one child, Eileen, have been born, her birth occurring on June 19, 1901.
JOHN P. RIVERS.
Those who belong to the respectable middle classes of society, being early taught the necessity of relying upon their own exertions, will be more apt to acquire that information and those business habits which alone can fit them for the discharge of life's duties, and indeed it has long been a noticeable fact that our great men in nearly all walks of life in America spring from this class. The subject of this sketch, whose life history we herewith delineate, is a worthy representative of this class from which the true noblemen of the republic spring ; but he has made no effort to be a leader of men, contented to lead an honest, industrious and conservative life, desiring no other title than that of a good citizen.
John P. Rivers is the genial, obliging and popular proprietor of "River- dale," one of the leading summer resorts on famous Delavan lake, Walworth county, which is annually visited by hundreds of patrons from almost all parts of the Union, who find it such a delightful place that they invariably avail themselves of every opportunity to return again.
Riverdale hotel is a modern, substantial, neat and attractively located
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hostelry, consisting of sixteen rooms, modernly equipped and tastefully arranged, and in connection with this Mr. Rivers has three beautiful cottages. This popular hotel is now entering upon its ninth season, each year having rendered this ideal resort more popular, being situated on one of the most charming spots on Delavan lake, commanding a view of its entire length and breadth. The hotel is so situated that looking from its broad verandas one has a view that is excelled by no panorama on this lake or in this section of the state. It is situated near the west end of the lake on the south shore.
Mr. Rivers is also the owner of a fertile and valuable farm of sixty acres in section 31, which he has placed under excellent improvements and cultiva- tion, and which is one of the desirable places in Delavan township. It extends along the south end of the lake.
On December 9, 1896, Mr. Rivers was united in marriage with Inda M. Underhill, who, like himself, represents an excellent family.
AUGUST MELGES.
The name of August Melges is well known to the people who reside in the southern part of Walworth county and to large numbers who visit the popular resorts here, for he has been one of the leading innkeepers at the lake for many years, and has done much to make this one of the most attractive water- ing places in America, so he is well deserving of a place in the history of the locality along with other enterprising and public-spirited men of the present day.
Mr. Melges was born in Demola, Westphalia, Germany, on October 5, 1839, and there he grew to manhood and received his education in the common schools, and there spent his early life; but not getting the start there that he desired and having heard so much of the great opportunities afforded by the great western republic, he emigrated to our shores in 1864, during the progress of the Civil war, and here he has since remained, having come to Walworth county, Wisconsin, in the early history of the same, and finding it to his liking, establishing his permanent home here.
Mr. Melges was married to Ida Schultz in 1872, to which union one child has been born, William A., who was reared and educated here, and who is now interested with his father in the property described in a following paragraph. Hle was, married to Clara Feger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Feger, of Chicago, and they have two children, Harry and Elenor. Mrs. Ida Melges died on March 19, 191I.
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August Melges is the owner of the popular Woodlawn Bay Hotel, at Delavan lake, this county, the site of which is one of the oldest upon that famous sheet of water, having been known as Stowe's Park away back in the days when the lake was still surrounded by a wilderness of trees, and the first summer resorters were just finding the lake. The hotel then upon the prop- erty stood back from the water farther than the present structure. It was finally destroyed by fire. This excellent property came into the possession of August Melges in the fall of 1888 and was leased by him for a number of years, having W. A. Erwin, G. W. Collins and Jacob Snyder, and others as proprietors, until 1896, when Mr. Melges moved from Chicago to his lake prop- erty and assumed active management, and here he has continued to do a large and ever-increasing business to the present time, and in 1898 he built the pres- ent commodious, attractive and neatly furnished hotel, which is modernly equipped and in the midst of beautiful surroundings, and is popular with hun- dreds of guests who ever find here courteous and considerate treatment.
Mr. Melges also took charge of the old "Petersburg," in 1909, this being the oldest resort upon the lake and here he has erected a modern and tastily arranged cottage.
ALBERT BECKMAN.
To such enterprising and far-seeing men as Albert Beckman, the genial and obliging proprietor of "Beckman's Resort," now a favorite gathering place for hundreds of tourists to the far-famed lake region of Walworth county, is the popularity of this locality due, for he has expended every effort to advertise the place and to properly entertain the people coming here in search of recrea- tion, health and sport. He is a lover of nature, skilled in woodcraft, could have made a landscape gardener had he directed his energies in that direction, for only a cursory glance at the splendidly-kept grounds about his resort is necessary to ascertain that he delights in keeping everything in ship-shape and spares no pain and expense in doing so. He is a man who, while laboring for his individual advancement, does not lose sight of his obligations to the general public, but heartily supports all measures having for their object the general upbuilding of Walworth county.
Mr. Beckman was born in Stockholm, Sweden; on September 20, 1862, and there he spent his boyhood days, and received his education. When but a lad he had his imagination fired by the wonderful stories of the great western world and resolved, as soon as possible, to cast his lot with the Americans, so
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in the year 1879 he bade adieu to friends and relatives at the old home, and set sail across the great Atlantic. He located in the great city of Chicago, where he took the civil service examination and became a mail carrier, later becoming interested in the printing business, which he followed for some time.
Mr. Beckman was married on December 26, 1886, to Tilda Swanson, and to this union four daughters have been born, Gertie, Ebba, Teckla and Bertha.
Most desirably located upon Woodlawn bay, Delavan lake, stands "Man- hattan Resort," a large, commodious hotel, which Mr. Beckman successfully conducted from May, 1905, to 1911. It stands on the site of the old Hol- landale, which was built by George F. Holland. The Hollandale was burned and afterwards rebuilt upon a larger scale and was leased to Mr. Beckman, who has since made a number of important improvements thereon. In 1911 he completed a beautiful, commodious and costly residence just south of the hotel property, to which he retired in the spring of last year, his lease on the Manhattan having expired. His intention upon leaving the Manhattan was to open a boarding house and supply boats, bait and such other things as resort- ers require while on an outing at the lake, and his splendid new home on the lake shore is thus frequented by fishermen and sportsmen, his place being known as "Beckman's Resort."
ALBERT S. HEAGMAN.
We are always glad to welcome the Swedes, partly because they are thrifty and are always doing something, and partly because they make good, loyal citizens, being honorable and law abiding in the main. Wherever we find them, whether in the so-called effete East, the unconventional West or the snowy mountains of Alaska, they are always busy ; they are never among the farmers who sleep under the shade trees when the weeds are choking their crops, neither do we find them in the crowd of debaters who whittle on dry- goods boxes at the edge of the sidewalks in summer and around the stove in the rear of the store in winter, settling all questions but their own. They are with the doers wherever and whenever found. They usually come here with little or no funds, but they go to work immediately and in a few years we find them occupying homes of their own and comfortably fixed. Unlike many of our emigrant population, who send nearly everything back to the old country they earn, the class to which Albert S. Heagman, farmer of Delavan town- ship, Walworth county, belongs, invest their earnings here and prove to be valuable citizens in every sense of the word.
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Mr. Heagman was born in Sweden on October 17, 1865, and there he spent his boyhood and attended the public schools. He emigrated to the United States in 1882, locating in Chicago, where he remained one year, then came to Walworth county, Wisconsin, where he hired out to different farmers in Darien township until 1891, then came to Delavan township where he con- tinued to work as a farm laborer until 1906. He had saved his money and in that year purchased eighty acres in section 26, Delavan township, and here he still resides, having developed a good farm and is making a good living, and has a comfortable home.
The subject is the son of John and Margaret Heagman, both born in Sweden and both of whom are dead. They were the parents of two children, Hilda, who married Fred Peterson, and lives in Chicago, and Albert S., of this sketch.
The subject was united in marriage with Mary Olson on November 5, 1889, and to this union four children have been born, namely : Athel, born August 6, 1890; Cora, born February 13, 1893; Bennett, born December 25, 1895: Quincy, born June 1, 1899. Mrs. Heagman is the daughter of Ole Olson, who lived in Sweden and he and his wife are dead. He was a carpenter, but lived on a farm. There were eight children in their family.
Politically, Mr. Heagman is a Republican, and in religious matters he is a member of the Lutheran church.
FREDERICK C. WINTER.
If we could trace back the lineage of all the people in Walworth county we would, perhaps, be surprised to find that the larger percentage of them could claim Germanic blood, and, indeed, a very large number came direct from Germany. We owe these people a debt of gratitude which we cannot repay, for they have borne the burdens of upbuilding this locality in an admirable way, proving to be excellent citizens in every respect. Of this vast horde the Winter family is deserving of special mention, Frederick C. Winter, of Elk- horn, being an excellent representative of the present generation. He was born at Brunn, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany, April 17, 1851. He is the son of Christian and Maria (Stegmann) Winter, and there he spent his child- hood, being twelve years old when he accompanied his parents to the United States in November, 1863. After spending five months at Youngstown, Ohio, the family came on to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and located in Lafayette
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township, in what was called Hodunk neighborhood. In the fall of 1864 the father rented a farm there and soon established a comfortable home. In the fall of 1869, Christian bought a farm in Lafayette township, consisting of one hundred and sixty-five acres. This remained the family home for many years, and here he continued to engage in general farming. They came to Elkhorn in 1893 and here they spent their last days, both dying in Elkhorn, the mother on March 25. 1901, and the father on May 31, 1904.
Frederick C. Winter was reared on the farm with his father. He re- ceived his early education in Germany and finished it in this county. He bought the old home place in 1893 and was there up to the time of his retire- ment.
In 1899, having accumulated a competency through the able management of his farm, he retired from active life and moved to Elkhorn, where he has a good home and here he has since resided.
Mr. Winter was united in marriage on October 28, 1878, with Wilhelmina Krickow, daughter of John and Katherine (Albrecht) Krickow. She was born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, at the village of Salow, Germany, and she emi- grated to America with her parents in the spring of 1858, her second birthday occurring on June 4th of that year while she was on the ocean, during a five weeks' voyage across the Atlantic. Her parents located in Chicago where they spent the rest of their lives, the father dying in 1872 and the mother in 1873.
Mrs. Winter remained in Chicago until 1877, in which year she came to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and lived with her sister, Mrs. John F. Lang, who now lives at Rockford, Illinois. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Winter, namely: Edward, whose birth occurred on October 17, 1879, was graduated from the Elkhorn high school in 1898, then took a course at the Metropolitan Business College in Chicago, after which he was given a place on the faculty there, and he remained in that institution about three years as instructor, giving eminent satisfaction in every respect, then went with the Northwestern Business College. In 1909 he and his father started a ladder inanufacturing business in Chicago, moving their business to Momence, Illi- nois, in January, 1911. Frederick C. Winter is president of this concern and Edward Winter is secretary and treasurer, and the latter has the active manage- ment of the factory, which has proven to be very successful; he resides at Momence; he married Laura Vanderheiden, of Nernah. Amanda Winter, daughter of the subject of this sketch, was graduated from the Elkhorn high school in 1903, and she married Maurice West, son of Walter A. West, a sketch of which family appears in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Maurice West live in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The subject's second daughter, Louise, was
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graduated from the Elkhorn high school in 1905, and she married John H. Snyder, the present postmaster at Elkhorn, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Louise spent three years in Morrison's abstract office before her mar- riage, and Amanda, the other daughter, was employed for six years in the State Bank at Elkhorn, being assistant cashier of that bank the last two years there. These children are all well educated and refined, favorites with a wide circle of friends, and of them their parents may well be proud. Mr. and Mrs. Winter are members of the Lutheran church. They are kind, hospitable people, good neighbors and stand high in the affairs of Elkhorn and the county.
CHARLES R. BURTON.
It is the pride of the citizens of this country that there is no limit to which natural ability, industry and honesty may not aspire. A boy born and reared under the most adverse surroundings may nevertheless break from his fetters and rise to the highest station in the land. And the qualities do not have to be of transcendent character to enable him to accomplish this result. It is more the way he does it and his skill in grasping the opportunities presented than to any remarkable qualities possessed by him. Accordingly it is found that very often in this country the President, Governor and other high public officials possess no higher ability than thousands of other citizens. They have simply taken better advantage of their circumstances than their fellows. And this truth runs through every occupation. The farmer who rises above his fellow. farmers does so because he has found out how to rise above the surroundings which hold others down. Such a farmer is Charles R. Burton, of Delavan township, Walworth county.
Mr. Burton was born in Leonardsville, New York, December 31, 1873, and he is the son of Newell and Alice (Crumb) Burton, both natives of the state of New York where they grew up, were educated and married, and they continued to reside in their native state until 1888 when the family moved to Wisconsin and settled in Walworth county, where they remained about four years, then moved to Milton, Wisconsin, where they resided a short time, then bought a farm of eighty acres in section 9, Delavan township, this county, and bought a home, where they resided and established a very pleasant home and remained here until the father's death in 1894. His widow survives, and, like her husband before her, enjoys a wide circle of friends. They were the par- ents of only one child, Charles R., of this review, who lives on the homestead
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which he has farmed in a manner that has brought a large measure of success and stamped him as fully abreast of the times in all matters pertaining to agri- culture. He grew up on the farm and when but a boy assisted his father in the work about the place. He received his education in the town of Milton. Wisconsin. He has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Burton was married to Jessie Fairchild, October 11, 1899, daughter of Daniel D. and Edna ( Vincent) Fairchild, bothi natives of Wisconsin. The father is now deceased, dying July 25, 1905; the mother is still living. They were the parents of three children: Jessie, wife of Mr. Burton: Jennie and Burton D. To Mr. and Mrs. Burton have been born one child, Ralph Fair- child Burton, born February 9, 1909. Mr. Burton is a Republican and a mem- ber of Beavers Lodge, Delavan.
GEORGE HENRY RENNER.
A successful business man and public-spirited citizen who is deserving of specific mention within the pages of this history is George Henry Renner, a man who believes in keeping fully abreast of the times and in lending such aid as is possible in the general upbuilding of the community. He was born at Mt. Pleasant, Racine county, this state, on April 19, 1861. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Gilcher) Renner. This family came here in the spring of 1866, locating on March 8th on the farm which the father had purchased, and here the family has since resided. the mother having died here on October II, 1910. In 1884 eighty acres more was added to the place, and from year to year good improvements were added. A full sketch of John Renner ap- pears on another page of this work.
George H. Renner, of this review, was reared on the home farm, and received his education in the public schools. He learned the carpenter's trade early in life which he followed successfully for ten years, since which time he has engaged in farming, now operating the entire three hundred acres of the home farm, carrying on general farming and stock raising on a large scale and making a specialty of dairying. He has kept the place well improved and well tilled. From 1891 to 1893 he ran a creamery at Lomira, Wisconsin, looking after the same from his farm. He understands dairying thoroughly and is well equipped for the same.
Mr. Renner was married in 1895 to Sarah Steiner, of Dodge county. Wis- consin, and to this union three children have been born, John, Laura and
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George. The mother is a member of the Evangelical church. The subject's family have been identified with the church many years. Fraternally, Mr. Renner is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a Republican and he has been chairman of Sugar Creek township for nine years.
Mr. Renner became treasurer of the State Long Distance Telephone Com- pany at the time of its organization in 1905, and he has since discharged the duties of this office in a manner that reflects credit upon his business ability and to the satisfaction of all concerned. He has been very successful in his various operations in a business way and is one of the progressive men of his locality. He is actively interested in all local undertakings.
JOHN RENNER.
Germany has sent to Walworth county a very large number of her en- terprising citizens. The Germans are known as the most highly educated people in the world; their universities rank at the front, and, with the excep- tion of fiction writers, in which she ranks among the very lowest, she has produced men who are leaders in all departments of art. The five greatest musicians of the world, past or present, bear German names, and in all walks of life they have excelled. They are not only thinkers, but people of thrift. They make a comfortable living where people of other nationalities would starve or at least eke out a miserable existence. So we are always glad to welcome them to our shores. One of this worthy number is John Renner, of Sugar Creek township, Walworth county. He was born in Baden, Ger- many, January 22, 1838, being the fifth of a family of eight children born to Casper and Elizabeth Renner, the father a native of Baden, Germany, where he grew up and from there he emigrated to the United States in 1848, landing in New York City, where he worked two years, on a farm near there. Then, in 1850, he came to Racine, Wisconsin, where he farmed until 1866, then came to Walworth county and made his home with his son John. of this sketch, until his death. He was buried in Tibbitts cemetery. Casper Renner was a Republican. His wife was born in Baden, Germany, and she died in Walworth county at the age of sixty-four years. They were both members of the Evangelical church.
John Renner of this sketch was ten years old when he came to America with his parents, and here he grew to manhood and attended the common schools. He proved his patriotism to his adopted country by enlisting for
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service in the Union army, when he was twenty-four years old, in December, 1862, in Company K, Thirty-first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, in which he served gallantly until the close of the war, taking part in many important campaigns and hard-fought engagements, such as the battles of Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Savannah, Bentonville, and was on Sherman's famous march to the sea.
After his army career Mr. Renner returned to Wisconsin and bought a farnı in section 3, Sugar Creek township, Walworth county, and here he has since resided, having been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser, having accumulated two hundred and seventy-five acres of excellent land.
Mr. Renner was married on November 6, 1859, to Elizabeth Gilcher, who was born on April 29, 1835, in Bavaria, Germany, where she grew to womanhood and received her education, coming to America when twenty years of age. Her death occurred on October 1I, 1910.
To the subject and wife one child was born, George Henry, whose birth occurred on April 19, 1861, and a sketch of whom will be found on another page of this work.
Politically, John Renner is a Republican, and has long been active in local politics. He is a member of the Rutherford B. Hayes Post No. 76, Grand Army of the Republic, of Elkhorn, and he and his wife are members of the Evangelical church. Mr. Renner is one of the substantial and influen- tial Germans of Sugar Creek township, and is highly respected by all who know him.
PORTER GREENE.
The early pioneers of Walworth county, having blazed the path of civiliza- tion to this part of the state, finislied their labors and passed from the scene, leaving the country in possession of their descendants and to others who came at a later period and builded on the foundation which they laid so broad and deep. Among the former class was the well remembered farmer and influen- tial citizen by whose name this biographical memoir is introduced, his arrival being among the earliest. His career here was in the first formative period, and he did much to develop and advertise to the world the wonderful resources of a county that now occupies a proud position among the most progressive and enlightened sections of the great Badger commonwealth. Useless to say that Mr. Greene worked hard and honorably earned the reputation which he en-
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joyed as one of the leading farmers and public-spirited citizens of this locality. and it is also needless to add that he was held in the highest esteem by all with whom he came into contact, for he threw the force of his strong individuality and sterling integrity into making the county what it is and his efforts did not fail of appreciation on the part of the local public. His name will ever be inseparably linked with that of the community so long honored by his citizenship, whose interests could have had no more zealous and indefatigable promoter, and his influence was ever exerted to the end that the world might be made better by his presence.
Porter Greene was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, May 9, 1813. He was educated in the public schools there, and when a young man he came to New York, and, having heard alluring tales of the great, undeveloped, wild and promising Northland, he came to Walworth county, Wisconsin, about 1836, before many settlers had dared to brave the wilds here. He entered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government, which his widow now lives on. This he cleared and developed into a good farm and established a comfortable home and here he spent the balance of his life, dying on May 13, 1893. Politically, he was a Republican and he was active in public affairs, holding a number of township offices, such as assessor, always with satisfaction to the people. Religiously, he was an active member of the Congregational church, of which he was deacon for years, and a leader in the same.
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