History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc., Part 198

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052

USA > Wisconsin > History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. > Part 198

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WILLIAM COMERFORD, livery stable, Appleton. Mr. Comer- ford came to Wisconsin from Ireland, in 1846, at the age of ten years. In 1867, he came to Appleton, and soon after engaged in the livery busi- ness, which he has successfully conducted since. In 1867, he was mar- ried to Miss Mary Ann Cragen, a native of New York State. They have a family of two sons and five daughters. We find Mr. Comerford one of the enterprising men of this part of the State.

Evan Edwards, dealer in dry-goods, on College avenue, two doors south of Appleton street, Appleton. This business was established by the present proprietor in 1868, and has steadily increased its volume until it now gives constant employment to a force of nine persons.

MR. EDWARDS is a native of Wales, from which country he came direct to Wisconsin in 1850. He was bred to the dry-goods trade in Oshkosh ; came to this city to establish business for himself in 1868. His operations were at first very small, but his business has gradually increased until he now owns one of the best dry goods houses in the city. Mr. Edwards is one of the city fathers.

REV. P. BONAVENTURA FREY, Appleton, is a native of Switz- erland. He was educated at the University of Bohn, Tulingen, complet- ing his studies in 1854, and the same year was ordained priest : t St. Gallien. In 1856, he came to America, locating in Milwaukee, and, in 1858, with Rev. Father Francis Haas, he established the order of Capu- chins in Wisconsin, at Mt. Calvary. Fond du Lac Co., where he remained until 1866. The same year, he went to New York and established a house of his order in that city. In 1879, he was made provincial of the order in the United States, with headquarters at Appleton.

PORTER J. GATES, livery stables, Morrison street, Appleton. Mr. Gates came here from Oneida Co., N.Y., 1849, at the age of twenty three. After prospecting the country, he returned to New York, in the Fall of 1850, and was married to Miss Juliette Arnold, only child of Da-

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HISTORY OF OUTAGAMIE COUNTY.

vid and Lucretia Arnold, of Oswego, N.Y., returning here the same year. He engaged in the mercantile business his first year, and the milling his second year, and subsequently built a building for general cooperage, which he carried on till 1876. In the Spring of 1860, he made an ex- tensive trip through the Rocky Mountains, returning in 1861. In 1862, March 20, he enlisted in Co. I, 3d Wis. C., and remained in the service till the end of the war. Was honorably discharged July 12, 1865. In 1875, he was engaged to carry the mails from Appleton to Shawano, which he conducted until 1879, since which he has carried on the pres- ent business. Mr. and Mrs. Gates have a family of one son and three daughters.

REV. S. N. GRIFFITH, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church: Appleton, is a native of Wyoming Co., N.Y., where he remained until his twenty-first year, when he came to Wisconsin, in 1854, and for the next ten years was engaged in study, teaching and as agent for the Bible Society, in which latter work he traveled by carriage throughout South- ern Wisconsin. In 1856, having determined to enter the ministry, he came to Appleton, and five years later graduated from Lawrence Univers- ity, having supported himself by teaching and preaching while pursuing his course. After graduating, he continued his connection with the University, as mathematical tutor and adjunct professor of mathemat- ics, until 1863. Entering Garrett Biblical Institute, he took the full three years' course, and graduated B. D. in 1867. He was licensed to preach in 1855, and ordained Sept. 23, 1866. During this interval of study, he was supplying pulpits, under the direction of the presiding elder. Mr. Griffith is a thorough student, and takes great interest in educational work, having had considerable experience in public school work. While in charge of the church at Oak Park, III.,he was for two years principal of the Mosely School, Chicago, and, in addition to his school work, preached three sermons every Sunday and built a church. His standing in Conference is evidenced by the character of the appointments given him, as instance, Princeton and Oak Park, Ill .; Kalamazoo, Mich .; Fond du Lac, Milwaukee and Appleton, Wis., to which latter charge he was appointed in 1880.

J. E. HARRIMAN, Judge of County Court, Appleton. Judge Harri- man is a native of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., from which place he came to Wisconsin in 1852, and to this city four years later, where he was en- gaged in trade until 1868. In 1869, he was elected Justice of the Peace, which position he resigned in 1873 to accept the office of County Judge, to which he was then elected and which he has since continued to hold by successive re-elections, his present term expiring Dec. 31, 1885. Upon the organization of the Appleton Cemetery Association in 1872, Judge Harriman, as its secretary and treasurer, took direction of the prepar- ation and improvement of the grounds, which embrace a beautiful tract of sixty-five acres, being just below the city on the rtver bluff opposite Telulah Park. The wonderful transformation wrought in this beautiful city of the dead, during the eight years of the Judge's supervision is simply incredible, and will always remain a monument of his disinterested serv- ices and the skill of his foreman, Dennis Meidam, who is the pearl of cemetery keepers.

GEO. C. JONES, attorney at law, Appleton. Is a native of New York; moved to Michigan with his parents in 1843. settling in Pontiac, and received his education in the schools of that city. Read law in the office of Hon. S. L. Stevens, was admitted to practice in 1853. and the following year removed to Ontonagon, Lake Superior, and was in practice there until he came to this city in 1868. While a resident of the Upper Peninsula, Mr. Jones became financially interested in the copper mines of that district, and in the iron mines on the Menominee range. This interest he still holds, and since coming to Appleton, (which he did for the purpose of educating his children), much of his time is given to his mining operations in the North. He organized the Appleton Iron Company in 1872, superintended it one year and sold out.

JOSEPH KOFFEND, Treasurer of the city of Appleton. Mr. Koffend was born and raised in Austria. In 1855 he came to this country with his people, who settled in Appleton. Mr. Koffend took up the vocation of tinsmithing and followed it for seventeen years, when his health became such as to not warrant a further prosecution of it. In 1876 he was elected the incumbent of his present official position to which the people have attested to their appreciation of his ability by continuing him in the office for each succeeding year since. He has also been actively interested in the school industries of his city and has been prominently connected with the schools of his ward as director. Ile also carries on a real estate business. In 1875 he was married to Miss Julia Weinfeld, a native of Austria. They have one son and daughter.

WELCOME HYDE, dealer in pine lands, lumherman and real estate operator. Appleton, is a native of Vermont ; came to Wisconsin in 1842; settled in Waukesha County, and in 1849-50, commenced opera- tions on Wolf Creek as a lumberman, with two yoke of cattle. Ile was not engaged in the manufacture of lumher until 1880, his business being the supply of logs to mills, dealing in pine lands and locating them for outside parties on commission. He has probably located more land and entered it in the offices of this State and Michigan than any man now living in the State. In the Fall of 1866, he removed to Appleton and

purchased a tract of 200 acres of land, lying within the corporate limits, most of which is now platted and a considerable part occupied by dwell- ings. Within this tract is embraced Telulah Park, and the land on both sides the Telulah water power canal, in which he owned until very recently a half interest. Mr. Hyde's acquaintance with this section of Wisconsin began four years before any attempt at settlement was made at Appleton, and in his passing to and fro from Oshkosh to Green Bay. has frequently camped out with his tent on the site of the present city. Since 1880, he has been engaged in the manufacture of lumber at Bear Creek and Marion, Waupaca Co. His lumber offices are at the mills.

JOHN A. LEITH, County Superintendent of Schools, Outagamie County. Mr. Leith was born in Stromness, Scotland. In 1857, he came here with his people, who settled in the county, where he was reared and educated in the common schools, and also took a select course of five years in the Lawrence University, but did not graduate in conse- quence of litigation arising in connection therewith, in which he formed a prominent party. After his collegiate course was finished he turned his attention to teaching, and has been identified prominently with that industry since. In 1879 he was elected to the incumbency of his present position, which he has very successfully conducted since.

A H. LEVINGS, M. D., Appleton, is a native of Illinois. He re- ceived an academic education in Rockford, in his native State, and grad- uated from the Chicago Medical College, class of 1871-2. On the com- pletion of his course he removed to Wisconsin practiced one year in Janesville, and came to this city, where for the past eight years, he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession.

H. W. MEYER, editor and proprietor of the Appleton Volks Freund, Appleton, is a native of Hanover, and from that country came to Wis- consin with his parents while yet an infant. Graduating at Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind., class of 1862, he engaged in teaching until 1869, when he came to Appleton. The following year, he purchased an interest in the paper, of which he is now the head, and in 1871 became its sole proprietor. Mr. Meyer has successfully held office as City Clerk, Treasurer and Assessor ; was printer's devil in the office of the Appleton Crescent, when that paper was first issued, in 1853. He enlisted for the United States service, but was not accepted. He held an interest in the Crescent, and edited that sheet during the absence of its editor, his brother, in the field, from 1861 to 1864.

GEORGE M. MILLER, Postmaster, Appleton. Mr. Miller was born, reared and educated in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. In 1865, at the age of eighteen, he came to Appleton and engaged in the mercantile business, which he followed for six years, after which he turned his at- tention to the business of journalism, and, in company with Mr Reid, of the Post, they bought out that institution and conducted it until his ap- pointment as Postmaster in 1876, which position he still retains, having severed his connection with the Post in 1878.

A. NITSCHKE, dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hats and caps, flour, etc .. 316 College avenue, Appleton. Mr. Nitschke is a na- tive of Prussia and came to Milwaukee, Wis., in 1843. In 1861, he en- listed in the Urion cause, Ist Wis. V. I., for three months service. In 1862, he enlisted again in the 26th Wis. V. I. and remained in the serv- ice till the end of the war, at which time he was honorably discharged ; w s wounded at the battle of Resaca. After his return from the war, he engaged in the mercantile business here in 1866, which he has success- fully conducted since. In 1868, he was married to Miss Mary Ostertag, who was born in this country. They have a family of one son and two daughters, and one boy and girl buried in the German Catholic Ceme- tery of Appleton.

PEERENBOOM & KOBER, general merchandise and merchant tailors, 314 College avenue, Appleton. The firm consists of Julius Peer- enboom and Jacob Kober. The business was established here in Janu- ary, 1872, and has been so successfully conducted since that their busi- ness has increased three hundred per cent. Mr. Peerenboom, the senior member, is a native of Holland and came to this country in 1858. In 1869, he began his career in the mercantile business, which he has so successfully conducted since.

Mr. Kober is a native of Prussia, and cr me to this country in 1854, in March. In November, 1861, he enlisted in Co. A, 2d Wis. C., and after an active service of nearly two years he was honorably dis- charged on account of disability for that service. Alter a few months, he again enlisted in the infantry department, 32d Wis. Vet., and after an active service of two years more he was honorably discharged. After his valuable war service, he turned his attention to the peace industries and engaged in the mercantile business, which he has very successfully conducted since.

L. B. PENNOCK, Appleton. Mr. Pennock is a native of Canada, born and reared in York Mills, near Toronto. At the age of fifteen. he engaged at the trade of carpentering, which he prosecuted successfully for six years, at the end of which time he came to Appleton. Wis., in 1871. In the Spring of 1872, he engaged with the Fox & Wisconsin River improvement, in the employ of the Government, as foreman of the engineering department, with which he has been reputably connected since. In February, 1878, he was married to Miss Rebecca A. Clark,

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

who was born in Winnebago Co., Wis., her people having come to Wis- consin from England, and ary among the early settlers of the State. They have one little girl, Margaret .A. J.

C. J. Pettibone & Co., dealers in dry goods and notions, corner College avenue and Appleton street, Appleton. This business was established in 1862 by C. J. Pettibone as a branch of the Fond du Lac house, established in 1860, which was a branch of the Portage City house, established in 1846. Their store fronts twenty-seven and one-half feet on the avenue and is 120 feet deep. The business of the house occupies both floors, and an addition was made last Fall by the purchase of the store-room directly adjoining them on the east, 25 x 120 feet. This affords them a full frontage of fifty-two and one-half feet, a depth of 120 feet, two floors, which is fully occupied with the transactions of the house, and giving employment to a force of twenty per- sons, including the millinery establishment. The present firm was organized in 1873, and they have labored most suc- cessfully in building up a trade in the finest lines of silk and dress goods, so that to-day they are able to furnish from their stock as rich and choice patterns as are sold over any metropolitan counters. The members of the firm are C. J. Pettibone and George F. Peabody.

C. J. PETTIBONE is a native of Connecticut, and, previous to coming to Wisconsin, in 1846, was engaged in dry goods trade at Fre- mont, Ohio. The same year that he came to Wisconsin, he established business at Portage City, and in 1864 had no less than ten establishments scattered throughout the State. These were gradually discontinued un- til, in 1870, he had in operation only his Fond du Lac and Appleton houses.

GEORGE F. PEABODY is a native of Connecticut ; came to Wis- consin with his parents in 1847 ; remained thirteen years and returned East. In 1866, he came again to the State and entered the dry goods house of Pettibone at Fond du Lac as clerk, and in 1873 became a part- ner in the house and removed to Appletnn in charge of the business at this point, since which date sales of the house have increased two and a half times.

HI. PIERCE, present Mayor of the city, serving his second term. Came to this State from the East a little over thirty years since, and settled in Milwaukee. He soon afterward removed to Illinois, where he received a collegiate education, read law, was admitted to the Bar, and one year later, 1867, came to Appleton for the practice of his pro- fession. He was elected District Attorney, and served in 1872-73; was three or four times City Attorney, and, as before stated, is serving his second term as Mayor of this city, in which he owns large landed prop- erty, to the improvement and sale of which much of his time is now devoted.

J. T. REEVE, M. D., Appleton, the senior physician of this city. Is a native of New York ; he graduated from Castleton Medical Col- lege, Vt., in the class of 1854, and the following year, again took his parchments from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and settled for practice in De Pere, Wis. Remained there, and at Green Bay, until 1861, when he tendered his services to the United States Govern- ment, and was mustered in as assistant surgeon of the 10th Wis. Inf. ; was promoted surgeon of the 21st Regiment the following year ; was cap- tured at Chickamauga, and was held a prisoner nine weeks, and at the close of the war was mustered out as acting chief surgeon of the Ist Division, 14th Army Corps, He then returned to Wisconsin, and settled in this city for me lical practice, in which he has since been successfully en- gaged. ITis professional abilities are abundantly testified by the public recognition accorded them, A member of the State Medical Society, he has been successively elected as secretary of that body for the past ten years, with one exception. 1875. in which year he was its presiding offi- cer. He was an original member of the State Board of Health, organ- ized in 1876, and has been its only secretary to date. Since 1872, he has been a member of the American Medical Association, and president of one of its sections at the session of 1880, held in Richmond, Va. He was a member of the International Medical Congress of 1876, and is State Inspector of Oils under the act of Legislature of 1880. As secre- tary of the Board of llealth he has issued numerous tracts on sanitary matters, and given to the citizens of the State much valuable informa- tion concerning the health of home and the family.

ALEXANDER J. REID, Appleton, the present editor and proprie- tor of the Appleton Post, while one of the most unassuming journalists

in the Northwest, is, at the same time, one of the ahlest, gifted with an exceptionally correct insight into all of the phases of human nature ; he combines with this a general editional talent of the most exalted nature. Naturally, in the highest degree unobtrusive, the aim of his existence does not lie in the domain of a seeker after official preferment, but in that of an earnest, honest desire to give his patrons the best possible newspaper for the money ; naturally of a retiring disposition it is given to, but a few persons outside of his office to know him intimately, in other words, as he is. Those thus admitted, however, to his confidence, bear willing testimony to his manv noble qualities, especially his keen sympathy for the sorrowing and suffering. Mr. Reid was born at Nunda, Livingston Co., N. Y., Sept. 22, 1846. In 1866, in partnership with a brother, he published a newspaper at Oconomowoc, this State. In September. 1867. he came to Appleton for the purpose of graduating at Laurence Univer- sity. In 1868, however, while in his junior year, he left college, and as- sisted in editing the Appleton Post. In the Summer of 1869. in com- pany with James M. Miller, (now postmaster,) he purchased the Post, the business of the establishment being conducted under the firm name of Reid & Miller. Nine years later, the business of the office having been put upon a permanently prosperous basis, some of the fruits of the hard work performed were swept away by fire, and after the change of base thus necessitated, Mr. Reid purchased Mr. Miller's interest, and became sole proprietor of the paper, which position he continues to ho'd.

JACOB REGENFUSS & SON, proprietors Northwestern Hotel. corner Appleton and Edwards streets, Appleton. The house is located on the most central part of the city, and has a very ample accommoda- tion for the travelling public. In connection with the house are exten- sive stables for the convenience of about fifty-six horses. A free bus is always in attendance at the railroad and steamboat depots. The enter- prising managers make it their motto to be reasonable in their demands, and to furnish the traveling public with all the conveniences incident to hotel accommodations.

H, D. RYAN, attorney at law, Appleton, was born at Fort Howard, Wis., Oct. 7. 1837; received his education in the public schools of Brown County, and in Lawrence University, this city, which institution he attended two years. Read law in the office of Hon. W. S. Warner, of this city, and was admitted to practice at the term of court held here in November, 1867. The following year he formed a law partnership with his legal preceptor, which continued until 1877.

SAMUEL RYAN, Appleton (he dropped the Jr. in 1878, two years after the death of his father), was one of the first Trustees of the village of Appleton, and for a year was its Clerk ; was Clerk of the Circuit Court, both by appointment and election. nearly two terms; served a term in the State Assembly, in which body he was subsequently First Assistant Clerk ; was twice elected County Judge ; five times a Justice of the Peace ; was twice a candidate of the Democracy for Presidential Elector, and once for Secretary of State ; and has for many years been also a prominent Odd Fellow, having been for two terms Grand Master of the State Grand Lodge, and for two terms, also, a representative from Wisconsin to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of that order.

JAMES RYAN has filled the position of Treasurer, Alderman, and Mayor of Appleton, and served a term in the State Senate with much credit to himself and his constituents. He has always been averse to political life and its honors, preferring the business department of his vocation.

W. A. SIEKMAN, livery, boarding and sale stables, Johnson street, Appleton. The stables contain a full and complete stock of liverv. They were established by the enterprising proprietor in 1870. In 1876, he enlarged upon his already extensive capacity, and built the present beau- tiful stables. The traveling public will find it to their interest to give him a call ; his terms are reasonable, and his outfits first-class. Mr. Seekman came to Illinois fiom Prussia in 1850, with his people, who settled there. In 1870, he came here, and established the present suc- cessful business. lle was married to Miss Clara Kehoe. They have one little boy. Oscar Fred.

EMORY STANSBURY, M. D., Appleton, is a native of Balti- more, Md., but removed with his family to this State in 1851. He grad- uated from the Janesville high school in 1860, then under the able direc- tion of I.evi Cass, and commenced reading for his profession in the office of Monroe Dodson ; entered the United States service as a private in the ist Wis. Cav., and, on leaving the service, where he was attached to the medical department, resumed medical study in the office of his old pre- ceptor, with whom he was for some time associated in practice. He then entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and graduated from that institution in the class of 1867, and the following year established him- self in practice in this city. The doctor is a member of the State Med- ical Society, and, with one exception, is the senior practitioner of this city. reckoning the years of practice here.

REV. F. TANGUAY, pastor, Appleton, is a native of Laval, Prov- ince of Quebec, Dominion of Canada ; pursued his studies in Quebec, and completed them at the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels, at Niagara Falls, in 1871. The same year, he came to Wisconsin, was ordained priest in Green Bay, and appointed to the charge of the church at Grand

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HISTORY OF OUTAGAMIE COUNTY.

Rapids. In 1875, he was assigned to the charge of the Irish Catholic church in this city.

LOUIS TOEPEL, proprietor and owner of " Valley llouse," Ap- pleton. The house is located at the M., L. S. & W., and C. & N. W. Railroad depots, and is convenient to the business and manufacturing centers of the city. Mr. Toepel was born in Germany, but was raised in Wisconsin, his people having settled in the State about 1847. At the age of twenty-seven he began business for himself, and has very successfully conducted it since. In 1874, he was married to Miss Mary Weiler, a native of Wisconsin. They have a family of two little girls, Amalia and Clara. Mr. Toepel's motto in his business is reason- able terms, good accommodation and strict attention to business.

L. S. TOWNSEND, proprietor Briggs House, Edwards street, Ap- pleton. The house is located in the most central part of the city, is newly fitted and furnished with the most approved conveniences inci- dent to the requirements of the traveling public, and is in point of con- venience, second to none in the place. The enterprising and genial land- ford, Mr. Townsend, whose extensive experience in this line of business thrangh the State, well qualifies him to administer as host to the travel- er, the pleasure-seeker and tourist In connection with the house are extensive stables for ample accommodation of horses. His motto is rea- sonable terms, good accommodations, and strict attention to business. A free bus is always in attendance upon the railroad and steamboat depots.

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Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1052

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052