USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. II > Part 41
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Our subject as well as his brother and sisters was raised on the farm where they now (1907) live. They are the proud pos- sessors of 635 acres of land, 350 of which is in a high state of cul-
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tivation, the balance timber and grazing land. The home place in Avon township, which contains 160 acres, the rest being located in Green county, is well improved with large and modern frame buildings; their barn is one of the best in the neighborhood and is 40x62 feet in dimensions. Mr. Stordock also has 550 acres of unimproved land in Clark county, Wisconsin.
Mr. Stordock, besides being engaged in general farming, is an extensive raiser of high-grade stock, while in bee culture he has been unusually successful and has over 100 hives, from which he has received a substantial remuneration, and he is considered authority on bee raising by the citizens of the county.
In politics Mr. Stordock has taken an active part and is count- ed among the independents. He has been town treasurer and for two years was chairman of the town board. He is chairman of the bonded canal commission which is now being constructed near his property, which when completed will be twenty feet wide and four miles long and will furnish drainage for 3,200 acres of land, costing from $16,000 to $20,000. The high state of cul- tivation and the modern improvements which we find on Mr. Stordock's farm are all due to the energy and thrift of himself and brother.
Samuel Filmer Cuckow, who has always lived in Rock county, Wisconsin, was born in the home where he now lives in Bradford township on May 26, 1854, and is the son of Samuel Jarvis and Eliza Simmons (Filmer) Cuckow. His father was born in Roch- ester, Kent, England, January 16, 1815, and was the second son of Thomas B. and Elizabeth Cuckow, the former being a son of Thomas Cuckow, who was born in England in 1787 and who came to this country in 1818 but soon afterward returned to England with his family. His father, Robert Cuckow, passed his life in England and died in 1838 at the age of seventy-one years.
Thomas B., our subject's grandfather, died at the home of his son in Bradford township November 24, 1874. Samuel Jarvis Cuekow, our subject's father, passed his early life in England, where he learned the printer's trade. In January, 1836, he mar- ried Sarah Eliza Bridgeland, who was born at Boxley, England, and came at once to the United States. They lived in New York city, where two children, Mary A. and Thomas J., were born to them. Returning to England in 1840, two more children, Eliza and Eleanor B., were born to them. In July, 1849, his wife died,
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and two years later he came again to the United States and settled on a farm in Bradford township, which with its additions he owned at the time of his decease. In 1885 he went to live with his daughter, Mary A., at Evanston, Ill., but on her death two years later he made his home at Janesville, Wis., till his decease, March 5, 1901. In May, 1853, Samuel J. married in New York city his second wife, Eliza S. Filmer, who was born in England in 1815 and came to this country alone. She died at their home in Janesville August 18, 1900. Of this second marriage two chil- dren were born, viz .: Samuel F., our subject, and Ruth O., who died in 1893.
Samuel F. had good educational advantages, which he im- proved, attending the district schools, the high school at Emerald Grove and the academies at Marshall and Walworth. He assisted his father on the farm all his early life and on his father's death came into possession of it. It comprises 153 acres-seven acres having been taken off it by the railroad-in section 17, and with its fine improvements made by him and his father ranks with the best farms in the county. Mr. Cuckow, besides general farming and stock raising, has engaged somewhat extensively in the dairy business, and is one of the progressive men of the community. He is independent in politics and has never desired public office, pre- ferring the peace and quiet of his home and farm life. He is a member of the Congregational church.
On December 17, 1884, he married Mrs. Ida H. (Crump) Leap, widow of William E. Leap, deceased, and daughter of Josiah Harrison and Julia (Stuart) Crump. They have an adopted son, Filmer Stewart Cuckow, who was born November 27, 1893, and is the child of Mr. Cuckow's deceased sister, Mrs. M. E. North- rup. He is a young man of bright intellect and a graduate of the Avalon public schools. Mrs. Cuckow was born in Utica, N. Y., and is one of a family of seven children and a lineal descend- ant of Anneke Jans, and hers is the oldest family in the line of succession of heirs to a large undivided estate in New York. Her father came from England and settled at Utica, N. Y., and became an architect and then married. He then moved to Niagara Falls, where he built the Mount Eagle House, besides most of the public buildings and many of the fine residences of that city. He after- wards lived many years in New York city, but spent his last days
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with his son at Toronto, Canada, where he died in 1891 at the age of seventy-three. His wife died in 1889.
William Allen Dean is a native of Emerald Grove, Bradford township, Rock county, Wis., and was born September 20, 1867, and is one of a family of seven children born to James William and Susannah M. (Brown) Dean. The father, a native of New England, went from Vermont to Lyons, N. Y., with his parents, and when he was nine years old the family moved overland to Rock county, Wisconsin. That was in the winter of 1837-38. Here his father, our subjeet's grandfather, bought 1,100 acres of government land at $1.25 per acre, mostly in Bradford town- ship, where he built a home. He also ereeted a store building at Emerald Grove, having engaged in the mercantile business in New York. Some years later he sold his land and went to Du- buque, Iowa, where he lived until his decease. After his death James W., our subject's father, returned to Roek county and bought 200 acres of the land his father had formerly owned in sections 6 and 7, Bradford township, and built a home and lived there till 1887 engaged in farming and stock raising. He then went to Orange county, California, and thenee moved to Fuller- ton in that state, where he died on December 19, 1905, at the age of seventy-six years. He was a man of progressive spirit, active in affairs and prosperous. He was a Republican in poli- tics, but declined to hold public offiee. In religious faith he was a Congregationalist, and for many years was a deacon and for some time was clerk of the church at Emerald Grove. Our sub- jeet's mother was a native of Shusverryshire, England, and came to the United States alone at the age of twenty. She lived in New York city a short time and thenee came to Rock county, where she was married and reared her children. She died in Omaha, Neb., on May 23, 1904, and her body is interred beside that of her husband in the cemetery at Emerald Grove.
William A. passed his boyhood at home on the farm and at- tended the publie schools at Emerald Grove and Beloit. At the age of twenty he began farming on his own account, leasing land during the first fourteen years, and at one time carrying on a farm of 400 acres and having a herd of forty dairy cows. He then rented and afterwards bought from his father the home farm in Bradford township and for ten years was engaged in general farming and dairying and improving the place. Mr.
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Dean next lived a short time in Janesville, and then returned to Bradford township and built his present home at Avalon. Hav- ing purchased the lumber and coal business formerly conducted by Mr. George O. Hudson, he is now engaged in that line in com- pany with Mr. James S. Fifield, of Janesville, under the name of Fifield & Dean. Mr. Dean is a man of active, enterprising spirit, a Republican in politics and an honored member of the Congre- gational church at Janesville.
On September 15, 1886, he married Miss Margaret, daughter of David and Margaret (Barlass) Clark, of Harmony township. The father is a native of Scotland and came to the United States when a young man. The mother was born in Harmony township and is a daughter of Andrew Barlass, an early settler and a brother of Thomas Barlass, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Both father and mother are now living at Janesville. Mrs. Dean was educated in Harmony township and is a member of the Congregational church. Of five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Dean, Frank, the eldest, died at the age of ten months ; James, the second, died when one year old; those living are Roy Burt, who was born August 13, 1891; Daisy May, who was born September 1, 1893, and David Allen, born March 1, 1900.
Shirley W. Inman, who is a native of Bradford township, Rock county, Wisconsin, and one of the representative farmers of that seetion, was born May 13, 1870, and is one of a family of six chil- dren born to Elijah and Harriet (Barney) Inman, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married. The father was born April 26, 1824, and at the age of twenty-nine moved to Plymouth township, Rock county, and settled on a farm and carried on gen- eral farming for ten years. In 1864 he moved with his family to Bradford township on a farm which is part of the present home- stead and added to it from time to time until he had 500 acres, mostly under cultivation and improved with a commodious dwell- ing house, barns and everything needed to make it a model farm. Besides his farm he owned in the village of Clinton two store buildings, several dwellings and a number of village lots. He was a man of progressive spirit, active in affairs, and withal thrifty and honorable. He was a Republican in politics and for a number of years served as supervisor of Bradford township. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the East, and with his wife was connected with the Methodist church.
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He died at his home on June 16, 1895. His widow passed away February 12, 1891, and both are interred in the cemetery at Clin- ton, Wis. The eldest of their children, Milan B., passed most of his life in Rock county, but died in the state of Alabama at the age of fifty years, leaving a widow and one child, Arthur. Their second child, Grizzie A., is married to Mr. F. C. Bradley, of Clin- ton, and has three children, viz .: Ruth, Gaylord and Metie. Their third child, Bertha R., is the wife of Mr. Joseph Echlin, of Janes- ville, and has two children, viz .: Gladys and Constance. The next child, Shirley W., is the subject of this sketch; the fifth, John E., a farmer of Bradford township, married Annie Gately. The sixth child, Ziba B., died at the age of four years.
On the death of his parents our subject came into possession of the home farm, where he has passed his entire life. He has added valuable improvements to the place and besides general farming makes a specialty of breeding high-grade farm stock.
On Mr. Inman's farm is a living spring for many years known as Black Hawk spring, whose volume of pure running water not only supplies the household needs and all the stock on the farm but also supplies a fine fountain erected on the lawn by Mr. In- man's father more than thirty years ago. Besides his farm Mr. Inman owns a store in the village of Clinton. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Mystic Workers and the Knights of the Globe. In politics he is a Republican.
On July 16, 1894, Mr. Inman married Miss Carrie N. Chris- tianson, who came to this county from Denmark, her native land, when eighteen years of age. She was educated in Denmark and is a Lutheran in religious faith. Of seven children born to them on the old homestead, Elijah E. was born September 20, 1895; Marymie M., July 16, 1897 ; Shirley S., October 8, 1898, and Foster T., May 1, 1900. Walker W., who was born September 30, 1901, died August 7, 1902, and Walker W. (second), born November 1, 1902, died December 10, 1902. Their youngest child, Gilman G., was born June 5, 1907. Mrs. Inman's father is a farmer and still resides in Denmark, but her mother died when she was a child of two years.
Charles Kemp, for more than half a century a resident of Wis- consin and one of her substantial farmers and representative men, was born in West Kent county, England, August 20, 1826, and is one of a family of nine children born to William and Lydia
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(Wacker) Kemp, the former born in West Kent county and the latter in Lincolnshire, England, where they passed their lives. The father was a farmer.
On May 1, 1851, Charles embarked for the United States and on the 2d of June following landed in New York, thence going up the Hudson river, spending five years in Oneida county, New York, and from there in 1856 he removed to Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where he continued farming till 1863. From that time till 1869 he rented and cultivated a farm in La Prairie township, Roek county, then farmed four years in Janesville township, thence going to the township of Johnstown, and thence in 1878 to Bradford township, and there continued his occupation of farming. In 1885 he bought eighty aeres of land in section 3, to which he afterwards added 140 acres in section 4, and there made his permanent home. Under his careful management this farm has been finely improved with good farm buildings and modern equipments and is justly regarded one of the model farms of Rock county.
Mr. Kemp is a Republican in politics, though he takes no active part in politieal affairs more than to perform his duties as a citizen, and in religious faith he is affiliated with the Methodist church at Fairfield.
On Febuary 26, 1856, Mr. Kemp married Miss Mary, daughter of William and Esther (Cook) Goodson, who was born at Mar- shall, Oneida county, N. Y., June 1, 1835, and received her edu- cation there. Her parents, natives of England came to the United States in 1829 after the birth of their third child and settled on a farm in Oneida county, New York, whence they removed in 1856 to Harmony township, Rock county, Wisconsin. After the death of the mother, which occurred in 1873 when seventy years of age, the father made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Wileox, at Janesville, till his decease June 2, 1894.
Of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kemp, the eldest, Hen- rietta, born September 4, 1857, died when two years old; Emery W. lives on his farm of ninety-five acres in Harmony township with his wife, Mattie, nee Coats, and their two children, Edith and Earl; Josephine is married to Mr. William Lamb, a farmer of Johnstown township, and they have two children, Mary and Charles ; Philo is a blacksmith and married Miss Susan Jones, of Emerald Grove, where he has his home; Henry T., born March
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30, 1867, has always lived on the family homestead. He was edu- eated in the district schools of Johnstown and Bradford and is a wide-awake farmer of the younger generation. He is a Repub- lican in politics and a worthy member of the Methodist church. Zada is married to Mr. Charles Hackwell, who lives on his fine farm of eighty aeres in Bradford township; Esther lives at home ; Charles married Miss Agnes Rice and lives on the eighty-acre farm owned by his father.
Thomas Barlass, a representative citizen of Bradford town- ship, Roek county, Wisconsin, is a native of Kinrosshire, Seot- land, was born January 6, 1825, and is one of four children, three of whom are living and reside in Rock county, born to David Barlass, a farmer, who died in Scotland, and Mary, nee Marshall. The mother came to this country in 1844 and made her home with Andrew Barlass, her eldest son, who came hither in 1843. She lived to be seventy-five years of age and died in Harmony township.
Thomas was educated in his native land, and on coming to the United States settled first in Johnstown township, Rock county, but in 1845 bought eighty acres of land in section 6, Bradford township, which he improved for his permanent home. Mr. Bar- lass has engaged in general farming and stock raising all his life and has always been progressive, enterprising and prosperous. He has added to his original purehase from time to time, making substantial improvements as needed, and his present farm of 204 acres ranks among the noted places of Roek county. Having but 25 cents in money when he started, he has by persistent effort, industry, hard work and thrift attained to a position of compara- tive independence, and is in the highest sense a self-made man. In politics a Republican, he has been honored with various loeal offices, having been supervisor of Bradford township, treasurer of the school board, etc. He has never sought office, and has al- ways been in hearty sympathy with everything tending to the betterment of his community. In religious faith he is a Presby- terian.
On December 26, 1851, Mr. Barlass married Miss Jane MeAr- - thur, who was born in Scotland and came to this country in 1844 with her parents, who settled and lived the remainder of their lives in Rock county. Mrs. Barlass was a member of the Presby- terian church. She died June 7, 1877, leaving three children, viz. : David M., now a dealer in agricultural implements at Janesville.
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SAMUEL S. JONES.
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He married Miss Lucy Locke and they have three children, Ar- thur, Roy and Mary. Jennette, who is married to Mr. B. P. Irish, a farmer of Bradford township; they have five children, Emily, George, Jennie, Irene and Margaret. John T., who was born September 7, 1861, on the old homestead, where he has always lived and which he helped to improve. Ile owns a finely im- proved quarter section in section 1, La Prairie township, which he leases to tenants. He is a man of intelligence, active in affairs, well posted in current events, and withal prosperous and fore- handed. He is a Republican in politics and he has served as clerk of the school board and is a Presbyterian in religious faith. He married Miss Helen Scott, who was born July 9, 1868, to William and Christiana (Brown) Scott. Her father was a native of Eng- land, of Scotch parentage, and came to this country at an early day. He lived a short time in Bradford township and then settled on a farm in La Prairie township, where he was killed by being thrown from a load of hay. His widow still lives there.
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Barlass have five children, viz .: Robert Thomas, born July 27, 1890; Pearl Christiana, born August 10, 1893; Helen Jean, born April 8, 1895; Florence Belle, born May 17, 1897 ; and Margaret May, born March 27, 1899.
Jesse C. Putnam, one of Rock county's substantial farmers, owns a place of 200 acres finely improved in section 11, Bradford township. He was born in Orange county, Vermont, on March 23, 1827, and is one of a family of six children, four of whom are now deceased, born to Daniel and Rebecca (Carlton) Putnam, the former a native of Danvers, Mass., and the latter of Landoff, N. H. The father moved to Vermont when quite young and lived there until 1847, when he brought his family to Rock county, Wis- consin, and settled on the farm of 160 acres which he had bought in 1846 for 20 shillings per acre. Here he made a permanent home and engaged in farming until his death in July, 1852, at the age of sixty years. He was many years a member and a dea- con of the Congregational church, and in politics a Whig. His widow, also a member of the Congregational church, lived on the homestead until her decease September 30, 1864, at the age of seventy-two.
Jesse C. was educated in the district schools of his native place and lived with his parents until their decease. He then came into possession of the homestead, to which he has since
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added forty acres and on which he has made many valuable im- provements, comprising a commodious and substantial farm dwell- ing, large stock and hay barns, etc., so that his place ranks with the model farms of the county. With the exception of a few years during which he conducted a feed mill Mr. Putnam has al- ways devoted himself to general farming and stock raising, and is counted among the prosperous and successful men in that line. He is a Democrat in politics and has filled some local offices, though he has always preferred the quiet of his ordinary home life to public office.
On September 16, 1860, Mr. Putnam married Miss Serphina, a daughter of Joseph and Abigail (Bailey) Chamberlin. She was a native of Orange, Vt., and about 1855 came to Rock county with her parents, who settled on a farm in Bradford township, where they spent the remainder of their days. Mrs. Putnam received her education in her native place and remained with her parents until her marriage. She died March 14, 1873, at the age of thirty- three years. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, of whom one, Mary Ella, died when two years old; those living are Laura E., who is married to Mr. James Clowes, a farmer of Darien, Walworth county, Wis., who is the mother of four chil- dren, viz., Mabel, Madge, Anna and Raymond; Leora Linnette, who is married to Mr. Arthur Clowes, of Darien, a farmer, and who has two children viz., Rubie and Robert; Abigail, the wife of Mr. Allen Dodge, a merchant of Fairfield, Wis., who has four children, viz., Susan, Ralph, Leslie and -; Daniel, the youngest child living, resides on the home place. On January 31, 1906, he married Miss Lillie Pyre, a native of Sharon, Wis. In May, 1874, Mr. Putnam married again, Mrs. Betsey E. Skuse, of Bradford township, widow of Archibald Skuse. She died Sep- tember 23, 1905. No children by this marriage.
Robert More is one of the enterprising, prosperous and public- spirited farmers of Rock county. He was born at Sterlingshire, Scotland, May 21, 1843, to Robert and Helen (Wilson) More, both natives of that place. They came to this country in 1846 and settled first in Johnstown township, where the father died in 1837 at the age of thirty-nine. He had bought a farm of 100 acres and in April, 1847, the mother moved on to it with her family. She lived until 1891, attaining the age of eighty-one years, making her home with our subject. She was the mother
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of nine children, four of whom are now living. Two of her sons, William and John, were in the Civil War, and John died in the service. William now lives at Benton Harbor, Mich. Our sub- ject's parents were members of the Presbyterian church at Rock Prairie.
Robert was educated in the district schools and at the Johns- town high school. He has always lived on the home farm where his mother first settled, having become the owner of it and added to it other acres. Until he sold to his son 120 acres the farm con- sisted of 400 acres finely improved.
Mr. More is the fourth oldest continuous resident of Bradford township, and besides engaging in general farming and stock raising he has made a specialty of breeding Durham cattle and Clydesdale horses. He is a man of prominence in the community and a Republican in politics. He served nine years as assessor, and as chairman of the board of supervisors eleven years, and two years was chairman of the county board. In 1899 he was a member of the state legislature and served on the committees on roads and bridges and on charitable institutions. He is trustee of the Rock County Insane Asylum, a position he has held nine years. He was a member of the Rock county jury commission for ten years and justice of the peace for twenty years. He is one of the trustees of the Methodist church at Fairfield.
On January 20, 1869, Mr. More married Miss Ellen J., daugh- ter of John G. and Juliet (Newell) Bass, the former a native of Vermont, whence he moved to Johnstown township at an early date and thence went to Minneapolis, where he now resides. Mrs. More, whose mother died at the time of her birth, was reared by a family in the town of Bradford. She was educated in Rock county and died at the family home on April 3, 1903. Of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. More, the eldest, Robert H., died at the age of eleven ; Wilson N. is a farmer and resides on his fine farm of 120 acres adjoining his father's homestead, and he mar- ried Miss Gertrude Dykerman, a daughter of Mr. John Dyker- man, of Bradford township, and they have one child, Robert J .; Ada J., the third child, is married to Mr. R. G. Tarrant, of Mil- waukee; and Agnes M., the youngest child, is the wife of Mr. W. H. Haggard, of Beloit.
Warren W. Swingle, a native of Turtle township, Rock coun- ty, Wisconsin, was born January 15, 1847, the eldest of a family
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of three children born to Justus and Maria (Clark) Swingle. The former, a son of William Swingle, was born in Wayne county, Pennsylvania; the latter was a native of Vermont. Justus Swingle was one of the pioneer settlers of Wisconsin, coming hither in 1836. He spent the first winter at Watertown, in Jeffer- son county, engaged in lumbering. In 1837 he removed to Turtle township and bought a quarter section of land in section 2, where he made a home and reared his family and where he passed his life as a successful farmer, being esteemed as a kind-hearted, upright man and a worthy citizen. His death occurred in 1896 at the age of eighty-three years. His first child, Helen, is married to Mr. A. W. Sales and lives in Chicago. The youngest child, Lucius, is a resident of Arizona.
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