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 43
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Mr. Jones has always taken a commendable interest in public affairs, serving as township assessor five years, and having been for the past two years chairman of the town board.
On September 18, 1873, Mr. Jones married Miss Fannie Myers, a daughter of Mr. Andrew Myers, an old and highly respected citizen of Beloit township. Mrs. Jones is a woman of ability who takes great interest in educational matters, being at present (1907) clerk of the district school board. Of five children born
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to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the eldest, Ada, is married to Mr. Andrew Titlotson and lives in Boone county, Illinois; Nellie is assistant principal of the Parker school of Beloit; Jessie is the wife of Eb- enezer Cuss, of Boone county, Illinois; Mary Alice is a teacher ; and Georgia is now a student at Beloit College.
George H. Crosby, who ranks among the prosperous, substan- tial and influential citizens of Rock county, Wisconsin, is a na- tive of Colebrook, N. H. He was born December 9, 1836, and is the eldest of a family of three children born to Thomas and El- vira (Chase) Crosby, the former a native of Brattleboro and the latter of Waterford, Vt. Their other children were Charles C., now deceased, and Cornelia A., who resides at the family home- stead in Rock county.
Our subject's grandfather was Watson Crosby. He lived in Vermont during his early life, but later moved to Colebrook, N. H., where he died about 1824. When our subject was an infant, in 1837, his parents settled in Rock county on a tract of land which the father improved and where he made a home and reared his family. Here he experienced all the inconveniences and hard- ships incident to pioneer life of the early days, but bravely facing them, overcame trials and obstacles and lived to enjoy the well- earned fruits of his toil. He was a successful farmer, and as a man and citizen enjoyed the confidence and respect of all who knew him.
George H. grew to manhood on his father's farm, receiving a common school education in the district schools of the neighbor- hood, and also attended the preparatory department of Beloit College, and then took a course at Bryant, Bell & Stratton's Com- mercial College, Chicago. He has always lived on the homestead of 200 acres which he now owns and which he carried on for a number of years previous to his father's decease. The farm, which ranks among the finest in the county, is improved with a fine and spacious dwelling house, substantial barns and other buildings and equipped with all the machinery and appliances requisite to the furnishing of a model, up-to-date farm. Besides the raising of grain and general farming Mr. Crosby gives special attention to raising and breeding high-grade stock and feeding for market.
In January, 1865, Mr. Crosby married Miss Adelaide L. Ham- mond, whose father, John Hammond, came from Scottsville, N.
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Y., to Rock county, Wisconsin, in the early days. Of two chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Crosby, Glenn C., the eldest, is now deceased, and Emma H., who is married to Dr. R. D. Thomas, lives in Milwaukee.
Mr. Crosby is a broad-minded, progressive man, has traveled extensively through the western states and visited old Mexico, and keeps himself in touch with the trend of current affairs. He is withal a public-spirited man of influence in his community. He served fifteen years as a member of the county board of super- visors, during which time he also served as chairman of the town board, and in 1874-75 was a member of the state legislature.
John Anthony Yost is well known as one of Rock county's representative citizens and substantial, prosperous farmers. He is a native of Beloit township and was born on March 12, 1848, the third of a family of six children born to William S. and Har- riet P. (Sadliere) Yost, both natives of New York state, where they were married. Our subject's grandfather, William Yost, came to Wisconsin about 1835 and purchased a tract of land in sections 11 and 12, Beloit township, there being then but two houses in the settlement. After purchasing the land, which aft- erwards became the family homestead of our subject's father, he returned to his home in New York and there passed the remain- der of his days. In 1843 our subject's father moved to Rock county and settled on the land his father had purchased and there made his home and lived until his retirement from active work in 1868, when he left his farm and became a resident of Beloit, where he erected a comfortable home. Of his six children, the eldest, Joseph, died in early manhood, his decease being followed by that of the second child, Matilda, about the same time. The fourth child, Frankie, was married to Mr. W. S. Hart, now de- ceased, and lives in Beloit; Hattie, the fifth child, died in 1882; and William S., the youngest, is a traveling salesman with head- quarters at Chicago.
John A. had all the experiences of the western farmer boy, helping with the farm work and attending the district schools. He received here a good common school education and supple- mented it with a course of study at Beloit. He has always lived on the family homestead, devoting himself to his chosen oceupa- tion, and is in the full sense of the term a practical farmer. His present farm comprises 180 acres, finely improved with good
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buildings and all the necessary equipments and appliances of a model modern home, he having sold from the original tract a number of building lots. Mr. Yost has also set apart a tract of fifteen acres bordering on the Roek river as a public pleasure ground, and known as Yost Park. Hither large numbers of peo- ple from Janesville, Beloit and surrounding sections are attracted for pleasure trips and pienies and to witness the games of the local baseball teams as well as those of the state league, which are now and then played there. Mr. Yost is a public-spirited man and has taken an active part in civic affairs, having served in all the local offices of the township.
On October 20, 1869, Mr. Yost married Miss Marion Ross, daughter of Mr. Chauncey Ross, an old and highly respected citi- zen of Turtle township. Of four children born to them, John C. is a resident of Beloit; Arthur died September 29, 1897, at the age of twenty-four years; George lives on the homestead and assists in the management of Yost Park; and Ross D. carries on the farm.
Edwin L. Rasey is the son of Lorenzo and Emily Rasey, who came to Rock county, Wisconsin, at an early day, and who, in 1867, settled in Beloit township on section 17, where Edwin L. was born, July 6, 1869.
Raised on the farm, Edwin received his early education in the district schools of his native township and finished at Beloit college. He has continued to reside on the original homestead since his birth. Upon the retirement of his father in 1895, he assumed the active management of the home farm of about 300 acres and has been generally successful at farming. Mr. Rasey devotes considerable time to the raising of stock, and full blooded Holstein cattle, of which his farm contains a goodly number, are his favorites. He also has a herd of high grade half and three-quarter bloods. Raising Norman horses has also been a successful feature of his stock raising, and at this time, 1907, has some fine colts and dams.
On December 27, 1894, Mr. Rasey was married in Beloit, Wis., to Miss Marie Etta, daughter of Willis S. Thompson (now deceased), who for many years was in partnership with Mr. Rasey, owned and operated a creamery in Beloit township. Mr. Rasey is serving his sixth term as town clerk, and is a Blue Lodge Mason.
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Lou Morgan Nye, of section 28, Beloit township, Rock county, Wisconsin, was born June 16, 1877, son of William Mor- gan and Fannie (Miller) Nye. The father was a native of Her- kimer county, New York, and the mother of Massachusetts. He was born April 28, 1829, and died September 22, 1905. Mrs. Nye, mother of our subject, was for many years an invalid. She was a member of the Baptist church, and a noble Christian woman. Her death occurred on September 25, 1882. They were the parents of two children, viz. : Nellie, now Mrs. Charles Sny- der, of Beloit, and Lou Morgan, our subject. Mr. Nye was a man of great force of character and held in high esteem by his fellow men. He had received an excellent education in the public and select schools of Beloit. After leaving school, he began the life of a hustling western farmer, breaking prairie and getting the land subdued and ready for the crops that were to come later. In 1857 he removed to Minnesota and purchased 160 acres of land on the Crow river, but in the fall of 1858 re- turned to Beloit, and in 1859 bought 120 acres of land in section 28, Beloit township, which constitutes part of the old homestead now owned by our subject and his sister Nellie. He was keenly alive to the best interests of the commonwealth and was ever ready to devote his time and talents to his fellow men. He served thirteen years as assessor of the township, and was a member of the state legislature in 1887. His father, Clark Nye, grandfather of our subject, was the pioneer of the family in this country, coming here from Herkimer county, New York, in 1846, but in 1849 went to California during the gold fever, going by vessel via the horn, and on his return located on what is now the old homestead, where he spent the balance of his days, dying at the age of eighty-six years.
On the death of his father, Mr. Nye, our subject, and his sister, Mrs. Snyder, came into possession of the old home of 180 acres of land, 120 acres of it being under cultivation. the bal- ance is in fine timber, chiefly oak and hickory.
Mr. Nye is a good sample of the products of Rock county, being an active and enterprising young business man, up with the times and proud of his state and county and his chosen occupation.
He was married on November 28, 1900, to Miss Amy Cole, of Beloit, Wis., daughter of George Cole. Her parents were of
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English birth and came to Wisconsin in the early eighties. Mr. and Mrs. Nye have a family of two children-Florence and Frances.
Rowletter Mackland Benson, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born April 5, 1825, is the only survivor of ten children born to James and Elizabeth (Powers) Benson; the former, a ship- builder by occupation, was a native of Maryland, and the latter was born in Pennsylvania. They were married in 1820. Their first child, Mary Ann, born in 1821, died in infancy; Maria Jane, born in 1823, married Mr. B. P. Drennen and had six children, of whom two are now living; Margaret, born in 1827, was married to Mr. Samuel McCracken and had three children; Mary Letitia, born in 1829, died when twenty years of age; James P., who was born in 1831, married Miss Irene Perrine and they had one child. He died in Louisiana with yellow fever. Charles H., born in 1833, married and had one child; Robert F., born in 1835, died at the age of forty-five years; Elizabeth T., born in 1837, was married to Ambrose. Wight, who became a Presbyterian minister. They had four children. William Tem- ple, their youngest child, died in infancy. When our subject was twelve years old, he made a trip on a steamboat down the Ohio and Mississippi river to the Arkansas river, then returned to Sharpsburg, Pa., and for a time attended the public schools. After leaving school, he entered the shipyard with his father, learned the trade and worked there until he became of age. On attaining his majority, young Benson shipped on board the ill- fated "Colonel Yell," which was wrecked off Eranses bay in the Gulf of Mexico; with the others on board, he reached St. Joseph island, whence they were taken on a government vessel to Point Isabel and thence went to the mouth of the Rio Grande river, where they remained until the close of the Mexican war, Mr. Benson being in the quartermaster's department. Return- ing home he worked as a ship carpenter for thirteen years.
In 1860 Mr. Benson went to Colorado, where, in 1861, he married Miss Ellen C. Perrine, a native of New York state, and whence, in 1864, he came east and settled on a farm in Clinton township, Rock county, Wisconsin. Here he made his home and carried on general farming and stock raising with good success until 1900, when he retired from farm work, leased his land, and took up his residence with his daughter in the village of
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Clinton. During his early life along in the fifties, Mr. Benson's brother-in-law, B. P. Drennen, invested in what was known as "Aurora Plantation" in Louisiana, and on the failure of the enterprise, through lack of proper seed and other causes, Mr. Benson came to his rescue with financial aid. About that time Mr. Drennen died and Mr. Benson went to Louisiana and took charge of the plantation and carried it on with great success. His sister, Mrs. Drennen, afterwards lived in Evanston, Ill., where she died.
Throughout his varied and active life Mr. Benson has been known as a man of progressive ideas, and has always been ready to give a helping hand to others in need and to lend his aid to whatever tended to improve the material and moral condition of his community. He is a prohibitionist in political sentiment. and in religious faith he is affiliated with the Methodist church, being a trustee and district steward in the local body. Of five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Benson, the first, Mary Montana, born in December, 1861, died in her second year; Elizabeth Per- rine, born in December, 1862, is married to Prof. Albert Schaub, and they have had three children, of whom two are living; Ellen Richmond is the wife of Mr. James Selkirk, and they have two children; Irene, their fourth child, was educated at the Illinois Training School for Nurses, where she served two years as head nurse, now lives in Clinton; James Newton, their youngest, who was educated at the Chicago Business college and the Chicago Law school, died in 1900.
Ralph W. Cheever, the subject of this sketch, was born in the old cobblestone house in the village of Clinton on July 9, 1854, at which place he has ever since resided. He was educated in the local graded schools and was a member of the noted "Haymaker Base Ball Nine." His earlier life was spent upon the large farm, which was devoted largely to dairying interests, he being the first person to establish and build up a milk route in the place. At the age of sixteen he had charge of 140 acres of land, overseeing the work of two hired men. For ten years he managed a large drug store and now holds the state certifi- cate No. 11 as a registered pharmacist. In 1889 he was proof- reader for the state senate, and during the winter of 1906-7 was postmaster of the assembly. For the past twenty-five years he has published the "Clinton Herald," which he also edited all of
Samuel Bell, M. D.
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the time excepting the past three years. Three times he was elected to the office of village supervisor, from which position he resigned. For the past eight years he has been one of the supreme directors of the "Mystic Workers of the World," one of the most prosperous fraternal organizations of the country. For more than a dozen years he was the deputy postmaster, and for four years, under President Harrison, served as postmaster. For fifteen years he filled the office of secretary for the large local camp of Modern Woodmen of America, and for years was the secretary of the local Y. M. C. A. For nearly two years he has been and still is the secretary of the Wisconsin Press Associa- tion, from which facts it may be seen that he is persevering, having had nearly all these duties to perform with but one hand, and that his left, as more than thirty years ago he had an acci- dent which deprived him of the use of his right arm. Early in life he joined the Baptist church, of which he is still a member, and in politics is a Republican. He is a son of the late Dustin G. Cheever, who was a member of the assembly in 1882 and 1883.
In October, 1876, he was married to Miss Vashtia L. Irish, youngest daughter of the late James Irish, who was also post- master for some nine years.
Eugene L. Benedict was born in Clinton township, Rock county, Wisconsin, April 8, 1863, and is one of six children born to James and Addie Reed (Linnell) Benedict. Their other sur- viving children are Gertrude, who is the wife of Mr. William Curtis and a missionary in Japan, sent thither by the Congre- gational Board, and Harriet, who is married to Mr. J. D. White- law, of Portage, Wisconsin. Our subject's parents were natives of central New York. The father first came to Wisconsin in 1849 and taught school near Caledonia one year. He then went back East, but in 1854 returned and bought the partially im- proved farm of 120 acres in Clinton township, on which he made his permanent home and reared his family. He carried on gen- eral farming and wheat growing. He was a man highly re- spected, a Republican in politics and a member of the Congrega- tional church. He died at the age of sixty-one years on March 19, 1889, and two days later his widow passed away and both were buried on the same day at Clinton.
Eugene L., after leaving the district schools, attended the high school at Beloit and then took a course of study at the
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Minneapolis Business College. He was reared on the farm and has spent his life there, and besides carrying on general farm- ing, engaged quite extensively in market gardening, and for four years had charge of the agricultural exhibit at the Wiscon- sin State Fair. In political sentiment he is a Prohibitionist. He is a deacon in the Congregational church at Clinton and a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen of America of that place.
In 1889 Mr. Benedict married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Francis and Emeline S. (Bradley) Westby, who was born in Clinton township but educated in Washington, D. C. Her father came from Lestershire, England, with his parents when four- teen years of age, and after a year and a half spent in New York city, the family settled in Herkimer county. At the age of twenty-six Mr. Westby came to Wisconsin, and after teaching school some three years, settled on 101 acres of wild land near the village of Clinton, which he improved and cultivated. He gave particular attention to fruit raising and was awarded a prize for having the finest orchard in Rock county. Removing with his family to Spottsylvania court house, West Virginia, in 1869, he remained there some three years, and then accepted a position in the pension office at Washington, D. C., at the same time teaching in the reform school in that city. He returned to Wisconsin in 1885 and made his home at Clinton until his de- cease, September 28, 1899. Mrs. Benedict's mother, Mrs. West- by, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, November 17, 1831, to Edward and Rebecca (Chamberlin) Bradley, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her parents removed to Wisconsin in 1845 and settled on a farm in the township of Turtle, in Rock county, where the mother died at the age of fifty-two. The father died in Washington, D. C., at the age of eighty-one years. Mr. and Mrs. Westby had four children, one of whom besides Mrs. Benedict is living. viz .: Archie D. Westby, a mine promoter at Minneapolis. Mrs. Westby now resides with her daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Benedict have one child, Frank Westby, who was born August 25, 1892, and is now attending the high school at Clinton.
Knudt B. Duxstad, who was many years a prominent and influential citizen of Rock county, Wisconsin, was a native of Norway. He was born February 3, 1825, and was one of a family
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of five children, all now deceased, born to Brynihd and Eli (Siam) Duxstad, natives of Norway. The parents came to the United States in 1844 and settled with their family on a quarter section of land in sections 31 and 32, in Clinton township, Rock county, Wisconsin, and made the home where they passed their lives. The father was a man of energy and intense activity and put his farm under a high state of cultivation, engaging in gen- eral farming. They were people highly esteemed for their many good qualities, and were devoted members of the Norwegian Lutheran church. The father died at the age of fifty-seven years, but his widow survived many years.
Knudt B. received his education in his native country, and in his early manhood assisted his father with the farm work. At the time of the California "gold fever," in 1851, he went thither and spent three years mining, after which he returned home and resumed farming. After the decease of his parents, he came into possession of the family homestead, which he fur- ther improved and cultivated, and to which he added, owning at the time of his decease 225 acres in the home place, besides 260 acres in section 33. All of the present improvements, com- prising a commodious and comfortable farm house and large modern barns and other buildings, were made by Mr. Duxstad, who engaged extensively in general farming, stock raising and dairying. He was one of the organizers and president of the Nora Creamery at Bergen, a director of the Citizens' bank of Clinton, and for a number of years next prior to his death, its vice-president. In politics he was a Republican and served as supervisor and assessor of Clinton township, and chairman of the town board. In religious faith he was connected with the Lutheran church, which he served as deacon and trustee, and in which, in early life, he was organist. His death occurred at his home on April 28, 1905, and his body is interred in the East cemetery in Clinton township.
On November 24, 1863, Mr. Duxstad married Miss Ingeborg Seaver, who was born in Norway and came to this country with her parents in 1844. Her father, Seaver S. Krarme (afterwards changed to Seaver), was a farmer and settled on a farm in Boone county, Illinois, near the Wisconsin state line and there passed his days, dying at the age of eighty-four years. His widow, who survived him some years, died at the age of ninety-one years.
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The bodies of both are interred in the East cemetery. Of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Duxstad, the first, Oscar B., born on the family homestead December 1, 1864, carries on the farm and is counted one of the progressive and enterprising men of the community. He was educated in the local schools, and spent fifteen years as a railroad engineer in Colorado, but returned home on his father's decease. He is a director of the Citizens' bank of Clinton and an active member of the Lutheran church. The second child, Elias, born July 30, 1866, lives at Manchester, Ill .; Carrie, born July 27, 1868, is married to Mr. H. O. Ander- son, a farmer of Clinton township, whose sketch appears else- where in this work; Anna, born January 27, 1887, lives at home ; Mattie, born January 3, 1873, died at the age of twenty-five; Emma, born November 27, 1874, was married on June 5, 1907, to Mr. Oscar Stenerson, a farmer of Manchester, Ill., and Ida, the youngest child, born July 21, 1877, lives at home. All of the children were born on the family homestead and educated in the local schools.
Thomas F. Gibbons, one of Rock county's native sons and substantial farmers, was born on the family homestead in Clin- ton township on March 1, 1860, and is one of a family of eight children, of whom four sons and one daughter are living, born to Michael and Ellen (Gibbons) Gibbons, natives of the county of Roscommon, Ireland. They were married in their native land, and in 1846 came to the United States, landing in New York after a voyage of six weeks; thence they went to Providence, R. I., where the father was employed in a factory till the fall of 1838, when he settled on forty acres of land in Clinton township, Rock county. Here he made a home for himself and reared his family, adding to his original purchase from time to time until he had 155 acres in his home place, finely improved with sub- stantial buildings and all the equipments of a model farm. He also purchased two eighty-acre traets, which he deeded to his two sons. He was one of the prosperous and progressive men of his day and was highly esteemed in the community for his generous, manly qualities and goodness of heart. He was en- gaged in general farming and stoek raising until his decease. which occurred February 22, 1887, when seventy-eight years of age. He was a Democrat in politics, and both he and his wife were devoted members of the Roman Catholic church. His
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widow lived to be eighty-seven years old, dying November 16, 1905. She was greatly beloved as a devoted wife and mother and a woman of noble Christian character. Her remains were laid beside those of her husband in South Grove cemetery in Clinton township.
Thomas F. received a common school education in the local district schools and helped in the farm work during his boy- hood. He has always lived on the family homestead and after his father's death, came into possession of it. He has added some valuable improvements and devoted himself to general farming, being justly regarded as one of the model farmers of the community. He has never desired public office, but is a Democrat in politics and with his family belongs to the Catholic church.
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