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 93

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 93

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JOHN J. McDONALD, foreman Wilson Shingle Mill, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1863, and located in Chippewa County, where he was employed in Randall's Mills for three years. Came to Eau Claire in 1866; was employed for some years in various mills, as sawyer and filer ; has been engaged in present capacity for two years. Was born in Canada, in 1842, and came to United States in 1862. Was married at Chippewa Falls, to Willmette McCann, who was born in Chippewa County. They have four children - Roderick, John, Arthur and Margaret.

WILLIAM McELLEGET, saloon, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1864, and was employed in lumbering for some years. Opened saloon in 1869, in partnership with Martin Cahill ; dissolved in 1874, and has since been alone. Ile was bom in Ireland ; went to Canada when quite young; came to United States in 1864. Ile was married in Eau Claire, July 4, 1869, to Hannah Desmond. They have two children, Mary and William.

WILL II. MCENTEE, Eau Claire, was born in the town of Al- mont, Lapeer Co., Mich., March 9, 1857, and lived in that State until IS77. when he came to Eau Claire. He manifested artistic talent when a child, and his life study has been portrait painting and crayon work, in which he was engaged in Lapeer, Mich., before coming to Eau Claire. Ile is now engaged upon the portrait of the late Chief Justice Ryan, for the Bar of Milwaukee, and one of Matt. H. Carpenter, for the State, under order of the Governor.

JOIIN F. MCGRATHI, foreman of steam saw mill for Eau Claire Lumber Company, came to Wisconsin, Sept. 23, 1848, and located at Fond du Lac; was engaged as carpenter and joiner for ten years ; came to Eau Claire in IS58; in 1866. was employed by Eau Claire Lumber Co. as millwright for several years, and then in his present capacity. Was born in Ireland, June, 1826, and came to America in 1842. Ile was engaged for some years on various railroads, as carpenter, etc. Enlisted in 1865, in Ist N. Y. Engineers, as private ; served before Richmond, and at other places, for six months ; at time of his discharge he held rank of corporal. Was Town Clerk of North Eau Claire, 1859-60 ; elected Alderman for 1879-80, and re-elected for ISSI-S2. Was mar- ried in Fond du Lac, to Mary A. Byrnes, who was born in Boston. They have four children-James F., in sewing machine business ; II. J., graduated at West Point, June, ISSo, now lieutenant in the Army ; John E., formerly in grocery business, and Mary Jessie.

JAMES P. MCINTYRE, Eau Claire, was born in St. Albans, Vt., April 18. IS36, and lived there until 1873, when he came to Jackson, Mich., where he stayed a few months. He resided two years in Athens, Calhoun Co., Mich. (where he discovered the iron which he now uses in the plow manufactory), and carried on a foundry. He was then engaged in the manufacture of plows, being a member of the firm of Plutzman Bros. & McIntyre, at Three Rivers, Mich., for two years. He then re- turned to Vermont for four months, and from there came to Baldwin, remaining fourteen months. From there he went to Stillwater, Minn., working as a molder; then to South Stillwater, where he was general superintendent of St. Croix Lumber Co.'s Iron Works, until he came to Eau Claire, April 20, ISS1. lle was married in Champlain, N. Y., to his first wife, Eliza J. Forrest, of Hemming Ford, Canada East, by whom he had two children - Mary Elizabeth and Edgar F .; and in St. Albans, Vt., to his present wife, Louisa A. Stannard, a native of St. Al- bans. They have five children-Frank E., Jane Barry, James, Charles Henry and Archer R. Mr. McIntyre was the first man who enlisted in the Ransom Guards, a company organized in St. Albans, Vt., in April, IS61, and attached to the Ist Vt. Vol. Inf., known as the " Regiment of Many Colors," owing to the fact that all the companies had fancy uni- forms. At the close of the three months' service, he enlisted, in the Fall of 1861, in Co. F. 7th Vt. Inf., and served two years and eleven months ; then re-enlisted in the same company, serving until the Spring of 1866, when he was mustered out in Texas. lIe was wounded in the head, at the battle of Baton Rouge, La., and in consequence thereof was in a hospital for nineteen weeks. Ile went out as company wagoner, and was promoted to brigade wagoner, serving until the siege of Vicksburg, when, by his own request, he was relieved, and made Ist duty sergeant.

JOIIN W. McINTOSH, farmer, Eau Claire, is a son of Mr. B. G. McIntosh, and was born in Farmington, Me., Aug. 11, IS60. Came West with his father, went to school in Eau Claire, and is a member of the Temple of Honor of that city.

HUGII H. B. MCMASTER, manager of Empire Lumber Co.'s store, came to Eau Claire May 2, 1SSI. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, July 2, IS43, and came to Pittsburgh, Pa., with his parents in 1849, living there until 1857. when he moved to Reed's Landing, Minn., where he resided until he came to Eau Claire. lle was engaged in mercantile business for Knapp, Stout & Co. for eighteen years, the last eight years being manager of their store at Reed's Landing. During an interval of five seasons, he was engaged in steamboating, three years on the Missis- sippi and two years on the Chippewa River. Ile was for one year cap- tain of the steamboat "Chippewa," and the rest of the time clerk on boats. Mr. McMaster was married at Reed's Landing, Nov. 30. 1863. to Lena J. Gray, who was born in the town of Wesley, Me. They have two sons, llarry B. and Guy L. Mr. McMaster served as sergeant major of the 1st Minn. Heavy Artillery, from Jan. 1, 1865, until Septem- ber, 1865. He was a member of the Minnesota State Legislature, from Wabasha County, at the first biennial session, and had held various vil- lage offices prior to his election to the Legislature.

ARCHIBALD McVICAR. dealer in agricultural implements, Eau Claire, is a son of Archibald and Jennie McVicar, who came to Wiscon- sin in the Summer of 1856. Mr. MeVicar, Sr., was engaged in farming and lumbering, in partnership with four brothers. They were in Downs- ville, now the town of Union, before coming to Eau Cla re. Ile dicd in February, IS7S, his wife having died in the Fall of 1865. Archibald Mc Vicar, Jr., was born in New Brunswick, May 29. 1$39, and lived there until he came to Wisconsin in IS55. being in Waukesha County and Menomonie before coming to Eau Claire in 1856. IIe was engaged in farming for eight years before coming 10 Eau Claire. After his arri- val, he was engaged in lumbering until 1868 or 1869. then in stock buy- ing for three years, and agent for Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine for three years. He commenced dealing in agricultural implements in 1874 or 1875 and has since continued in that business, dealing extensively in mill machinery, agricultural implements and handles carriages. Ile was married in Eau Claire, Dec. 25. IS6S, to Abbie A. Armstrong, who was born in Maine, and is a daughter of Calvin Armstrong.

Douglas, a brother of Archibald McVicar, served in Co. G, 16th Wis. V. I., and died at Memphis, Tenn. His remains were brought to Eau Claire and interred in the cemetery.

ALONZO D. MAES, Eau Claire, was born Jan. 22, 1841, in Fitch- ville, Huron Co., Ohio; and lived there until his twelfth year, when he moved to the town of Huron. Wayne Co., in the same State. He learned his trade of pattern-maker at the age of sixteen, and has worked at it ever since, except the time he was in the army. lle enlisted in 1859 in Co. G. 2d U. S. A., serving five years. Prior to 1861, he was stationed at Ft. Mackinaw. At that time he was ordered to Washington, and de- tailed as body guard to President Lincoln, where he remained until the first battle of Bull Run, when he took part in the first advances, Ile was taken prisoner at Chancellorsville, May 4, 1863, and exchanged Sept. 29, of the same year. He was in eleven general engagements and never received a wound or even a scratch. Was mustered out at Washington, Oct. 25, 1864. Ile was married in Milwaukee, Nov. 15, 1864, to Miss Elizabeth M. Vallier, who was born in Muskegon, Mich. They have four children-Chester J., Rachael Ann, Mary and an infant daughter. Since coming to Eau Claire, in April, 1879 Mr. Maes has been in the employ of N. Shaw as pattern-maker. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and A. O. U. W.

STEPHEN MARSTON, Eau Claire. was born in Kennebec Co., Me., Aug. 9. 1821 ; moved to Eau Claire from that State in 1856, bring- ing his family, a wife and one child, in a buggy with one horse attached the entire distance, save an occasional change of the whole outfit to boat and railway. Hle commenced mercantile business in Eau Claire in 1857, after having gone to Cincinnati to procure a stock of goods, sev- enty-five tons of which were shipped on to and brought, including him- self and family, by one boat, the Isaac Shelby, from Cincinnati to Eau Claire direct. Among this stock was the first lot of furniture ever brought to the place for sale. Upon reaching Eau Claire there were no storehouses into which the goods could be unloaded, and they had to re- main on the river bank till one could be improvised. In 1860, he bought the saw and planing mill built by Adin Randall, the only plan- ing mill then in the place, which he operated in connection with mer- cantile business until 1872, when he sold the saw-mill to Ingram & Ken- nedy, after having built a building, into which he moved the planing mill and sash and door machinery, which is still the only planing mill on the west side the Chippewa River, and which he is still operating. In 1869, he bought what is known as the Dells flour mill, situated three miles from Augusta, in Eau Claire County, one-half of which he still owns. Mr. Marston was engaged in general mercantile business from IS57 till 1872. Ile brought, in 1856, from Maine, with his other goods, the first piano ever brought into the Chippewa Valley. In 1860, he built the largest store building in the county, 30xSo feet. three stories and basement, the upper story of which furnished Eau Claire the only pub-

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

lic hall for ten years. He ha buill voring his residence in Eau Claire some thirty or forty dwelling houses winch he now rents to tenants. Mr. Marston spent two years (during the early gold excitement) in California engaged in mining and trading. Ile was married in 1846, to Susan E. Wyman, of New Sharon, Maine. They have one child, a daughter, living (Mary Olive), who was two years old when they started from Maine to Wisconsin, and who, in 1873, entered the Michigan Univer- sity for a full course of four years, graduating in 1877. She was the first girl to whom was assigned a part in the commencement exercises of the University, and was upon finishing her course in the University, proffered a position of assistant professor of Greek in Wellesly Female College, Massachusetts, which she occupied for two years and then re- signed to visit Europe in 1880, having been offered, before leaving the college, the same position after returning from Europe. Mr. Marston was Postmaster in Eau Claire, from 1862 to 1871, and was a candidate for member of Congress on the Greeley ticket in 1872, running ahead of the ticket in eight of the eleven counties in the district.

H. P. MARSHALL, millwright, Eau Claire, was born in Bradford, Penobscot Co., Me., Aug. 12, 1836 ; educated in the High School in Bradford, and taught school in that vicinity for some ten years. He moved to Eau Claire in October, 1865, and engaged in the jewelry busi- ness some four years, then learned millwrighting, which he has followed since. He designed and built a mill at Rock Falls. He was married in Atkinson, Piscataquis Co., Me., Jan. 14, 1858, to Miss Aurelia P. Brown. They have three children living-Henry Leslie, Thaddeus Waldo and Burt B.

ANTON MASON, shoemaker, Eau Claire, was born in Norway, July 18, 1855, and came to America in December, 1878; came to Wis- consin in 1878, and located at Eau Claire ; worked at his trade, and commenced present business in January, ISSI.

GEORGE W. MASON, Eau Claire, was born in Columbia Co., O., May 24, 1838. His parents moved into West Point, Lee Co., Ia., in 18.45, where his father died in 1851. He followed general occupations some years, untilat the age of eighteen, when he went into a store ; was for a time in business for himself. During the war, was a sntler in Tennessee for some time. He moved to Menomonie in 1863, and took charge of Knapp, Stout & Co.'s stores ; remained until 1873, when he went to Eau Claire, and formed a partnership with Ingram and Ken- nedy, under the style of Ingram, Kennedy & Mason. The firm dissolved in April, 1881. He was married at West Point, Ia., Dec. 30, 1858, to Miss Sarah T. Thurston. Mrs. Mason died in January, 1881, leaving five children-Mary E., George W., Sarah T., William S. and Susan C. Mr. Mason was elected Alderman in 1878, and still serves.

W. O. MATTESON, brick, lime, cement, etc., Eau Claire, was born in Kent Co., R. I., Feb. 13, 1828 ; was in the milling business for some years, his father being a millwright, etc. At the age of twenty-two years, he went into business for himself. He went to Minneapolis, Minn., in 1872 ; remained one year, and then moved to Wisconsin, locating in Eau Claire, and engaging in the lumber business, which he followed until 1876, when he commenced his present business. He was married in Eau Claire, March 28, 1876, to Miss M. Hazelgreen, an adopted daughter of Mr. H. T. Jones. They have two children, Bessie and Henry Olney.

LEVI MERRILL, proprietor Mt. Washington Stone Quarries, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1856, and located at North Bend ; was em- ployed in a saw-mill, as sawyer, for two years, and came to Eau Claire in 1858 ; was employed by the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company for six years, as sawyer, etc., and has been engaged in his present business seventeen years. He was born in Maine, Dec. 25, 1824, and married in Wellsville, N. Y., April 13, 1852, to Mercy J. Meservey, who was born in Brewer Village, Me. They have three living children-Inez A. (now Mrs. Curry), Cora E. (now Mrs. Charles Hall) and Fred. L., employed in the quarries. They have lost two children.

ALEXANDER MEGGETT, Eau Claire, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, March 26, 1824, and came to America when a little over three years old, with his parents, Alexander and Sarah Meggett (nee MacAr- thur), natives of Scotland. They settled at Uxbridge, Mass., living there till 1836 or 1837, when they removed to Chicopee Falls, town of Springfield, Mass., where they resided until 1841, in which year they located at Slatersville. R. 1., where his father died, in January, 1844. IIis mother died at Pawtucket, R. I., November, 1868. Mr. Meggett labored in cotton manufactories until he was nineteen, when he com- menced to educate himself. At Wilbraham Academy, Wilbraham, Mass., and at Washington, Litchfield Co., Conn., he prepared himself to enter Middleton (now Wesleyan) University. lle was in that institution the college year of 1846-7, having entered three years in advance in the sciences, two years in belle letters and one year in mathematics. Ile commenced teaching in the public schools of Slatersville in the Spring of 1847, and was married there, Aug. 11, 1847, to Mary Collyer Tabor, who was born at that place, June 11, 1826, and died at Pawtucket, March 8, 1854, leaving two children, Alexander Alden, born June 21, 1848, and accidentally shot by his own gun, and killed, at Augusta, Wis., Aug. 21, 1864, and Mary Tabor (Mrs. Jolin S. Smith), who died suddenly, June

23, 1881, at Eau Claire, having been born Sept. 14, 1851, at Pawtucket' Mass. In the Winter of 1847-8, Mr. Meggett removed to Pawtucket' Mass., and taught in the public schools there for nearly five years. He studied law in 1851-2, while engaged in teaching, with Hon. C. B. Farnesworth, of Pawtucket, and completed his legal studies the year following with Hon. Thomas A. Jenckes, of the city of Providence, and was admitted to the Bar in March, 1853, in that city, and commenced practice in Pawtucket, R. I., and practiced in Providence for a year im- mediately prior to coming West, in May. 1857. In June, 1857, he vis- ited Eau Claire, and permanently located there in July following, when he commenced, and has ever since continued, to practice his profession. During the Winter of 1857-8, he was editor of the Eau Claire Times. He was the second lawyer who settled in Eau Claire County, W. P. Bart- lett, Esq., having preceded him but a few weeks. He was married, June II, 1868, in Milwaukee, to his present wife, Mrs. Sarah A. Drew, a daughter of Archibald McVicar, one of the pioneer settlers of Eau Claire County. They have two children, Arthur Alexander, born June 15, 1869, and Frank Tarrante, born Aug. 6, 1873. Mr. Meggett has held the offices of Town Superintendent of Public Schools and City At- torney. He early identified himself with the Democratic party, and when a candidate for Congress, in 1870, against Hon. Jerry Rusk, re- duced the usual Republican majority in his district from 8,000 to a little over 3,000 and in his own county the usual 700 or 800 Republican ma- jority to 143. Since the nomination of Horace Greeley, in 1872, he has been an out-spoken and ardent Republican. In the Spring of 1875, he accepted the call of the citizens of Eau Claire and Buffalo counties, without distinction of party, to run as a candidate for Circuit Judge for the circuit including those counties and Trempealeau. The latter county voted nearly solid for its resident candidate, and he was elected. The famous measure known as the " Dells Bill," passed several times by the Wisconsin Legislature, and once declared unconstitutional by its Supreme Court, was not sustained by that court as constitutional and valid, as it was in 1876, until the bill was passed as finally revised and approved by Mr. Meggett, as City Attorney for Eau Claire, which office was accepted by him mainly with a view to make this important measure a success in the courts. Mr. Meggett has doubtless been engaged in more important criminal cases than any other lawyer in this section of the State, having been either sole or leading counsel in the following murder trials : The State of Wisconsin against Nethers, Fritz, Noble, Murray, Moseby, Mrs. Wheeler and Carter, Davey, Jump and Muzzy, besides many cases of homicide, in various degrees, and other important cases, both criminal and civil. His untiring zeal for his clients cause, his professional learning and ability, and his peculiar forcibleness and suc- cess in jury trials, both civil and criminal, have justly merited him that prominence which has so generously been accorded him by members of his own profession, as by others.

GUY S. MILLER, foreman, Daniel Shaw Lumber Company sta- bles, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1862, and located at Ean Claire ; was employed with Ingram, Kennedy & Co., for several years and has been in his present capacity since 1873. He was born in Southport, Chemung Co., N. Y., June 7, 1832, and married in Allegany Co., N. Y., Sept. 22, 1861, to L. F. Hubbell, who was born in New York. Have one child, Lizzie, twelve years old.

BENJAMIN F. MILLER, millwright, Empire Lumber Company, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1869, and located at Badger Mills ; was employed by John Barron & Co. for seven years as millwright ; then at Gravel Island by French Lumber Company for two years ; came to Eau Claire in 1878; was employed in Daniel Shaw Lumber Co., for one year as millwright, and then two years in same capacity with Valley Lumber Company ; has been employed in present capacity since May, 1881. He was born in Brooklyn, N. V., April 16, 1843, and married there in September, 1863, to Mary Cameron, who was born in Canada. They have three children-Charles W .. employed by Phoenix Manufact- uring Company ; Hugh L. and Franklin A.

ROBERT IIENRY MONTEITH, Eau Claire, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland (of pure Scotch descent), Aug. 16, 1825, and came to America, with his parents, when three years of age, locating in Mon- treal, where they remained until the Patriot war, when they moved to Highgate, Franklin Co., Vt. Mr. Monteith learned the trade of mill- wright, at Hyde's Falls, in the town of Highgate before he was fifteen years old. In October, 1843, he came to Janesville, and January I. 1844. went to Jefferson and built a small saw-mill for Darling & Ken- dall ; in 1854, he went to Richland County, and in 1859 came to the town of Eau Claire, now Washington, and engaged in farming. In 1862, he sold out and cleared another farm in Chippewa County, eight miles west of Chippewa Falls. In 1869, he came to the village of Eau Claire, where he has since remained, excepting a year, in which he lived in Pulaski, Mo. He worked at his trade most of the time until 1876, when he began working on his patent threshing machine, the " Badger State Economist, " which was patented Feb. 14. 1879, and is acknowl- edged to be the most perfect machine now in use ; it is manufactured by J. G. Thorp, J. F. Gilbert, Chapman and W. A. Rust, they having a contract and paying to Mr. Monteith a royalty. Mr. Monteith was married in the town of Summit, Waukesha Co., March 25, 1850, to Mary

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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY.

Jane Riley, who was born in Canada. They have four children living- Emma Jane, Joseph Samuel, William Arthur and Rosetta. While in Chippewa County, Mr. Monteith was Justice of the Peace two years, and Clerk of a school district for six. He is a member of the Tem- ple of Honor. Mr. Monteith's father, Joseph Monteith, was born in Scotland, and died in Richland Co., Wis., in April, 1864. His moth- er, Jane (Cortes) Monteith, was born in Ireland, of Scotch parents. and died in Jefferson County, in December, 1852.

ARCHIBALD MONTGOMERY, head sawyer, Daniel Shaw Lum- ber Company, Eau Claire. came to Wisconsin in 1856; located at Chippewa City, and was employed in a saw-mill. He came to Eau Claire in 1868, and has since been employed in his present capacity. He has been a member of the temperance society, Temple of Honor, for three years. He was born in Scotland, in 1843, and came to America in the Spring of 1866. Was married in Eau Claire, Dec. 6, 1870, to Imogene Cushner, who was born in New York. They have two children, Jessie and William.

J. F. MOORE, Eau Claire, came to Milwaukee in 1852, and en- gaged in civil engineering on the Milwaukee, Fond du Lac & Green Bay Air Line Railroad, spending the following Winter in Milwaukee and New England. From 1853 to 1856, he was employed on the Milwaukee & La Crosse R. R., being resident engineer a part of the time. Previous to his coming West, he had been engaged in civil engineering on what was known as a continuation of the New York Broad Gauge Railway, from Canandaigua to Niagara Falls. In August, 1856, he came to Eau Claire, and laid out the west side, platting it, as an engineer, for others. In the Fall of 1856, he made a survey for projected line of railway from La Crosse to Prairie du Chien. In February, 1857, he returned to Eau Claire for permanent residence, opened a real estate office, and was Clerk of the Court from Jan. 1, 1859, to Jan. 1, 1865 ; he was Chairman of the Town Board, and of the Board of Supervisors, for several years ; from April, 1880, to April, 1881, he was Mayor of the city. He was in the real estate and insurance business from IS65 to 1872, and from 1872 until his resignation, in February, 1880, he was Deputy Internal Revenue Collector of the Second Division of the Sixth District, embracing eight counties. Since then, he has been engaged in insurance business and farming, being the owner of two farms. He was born Dec. 18, 1832, in the town of Bedford, N. H., residing there until eighteen years of age, when he went to Canandaigua, and studied medicine three years, though he never practiced it, on account of ill health. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery. He was Deputy Provost Marshal for Eau Claire County during the last three years of the war. He has one son, Frank.

DELOS R. MOON, Eau Claire, was born at Ellery Center, Chau- tauqua Co., N. Y., Aug. 29, 1835, and moved with his mother to Auro- ra, Kane Co., Ill., in 1844, living there until 1857, and reaching Eau Claire on Aug. I, of that year. He was employed by Hall & Bros. to take charge of the bank bearing their name, which had been organized under State laws and was one of the first banks in the place. In 1861, he left the bank and engaged in the lumber business. He is president of the Chippewa Valley Telegraph and Telephone Co .; is vice presi- dent of Shell Lake Lumber Co. at Shell Lake, in Burnett County. He was married in Aurora, Oct. 12, 1858, to Sally F. Gilman, who was born near Granville, Licking Co., Ohio. They have seven children-L. Gil- man, Frank H , Angie, Sumner Gilbert, Chester, Pauline and Delos.

HENRY G. MORGAN, M. D., Eau Claire. Came to Wisconsin in 1869, and located at Alma, where he practiced for two years. Came to Eau Claire in 1871, and has been practicing here since. He was born in Brecksville, Ohio, and was educated at Chicago Medical Col lege. Graduating in the Spring of 1868.

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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