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 49
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
Mr. Kennedy, on January 14, 1904, married Miss Anna Ehr- linger, a daughter of John and Anna Ehrlinger, of Janesville.
1036
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
Mrs. Kennedy is known and loved for her fine womanly quali- ties and is in its full sense a worthy helpmate to her worthy husband. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have two interesting children, viz .: Joseph P. and Lois Cyrilla.
Mr. Kennedy's brother, William J. Kennedy, another of Rock county's younger elass of substantial farmers, is one of her na- tive sons, having been born on the family homestead in 1880; he has passed his life in Johnstown township, and always lived on the home farm, devoting his time and energy to farming operations with good success. He, on November 3, 1903, mar- ried Miss Mary Mullen, whose father, John Mullen, is a well known and respected citizen of Milton Junetion. They have had two children, viz .: Margaret, now deceased, and William.
The Kennedy brothers, as they are sometimes called, are justly ranked among the representative citizens of Johnstown township, and with their estimable families, merit the high es- teem in which they are held by all who know them.
Gregory Dexter Hall, one of Wisconsin's pioneer farmers, was born August 7, 1835, in Monroe county, New York, and was the third of five children born to Isaiah and Olive (Tyler) Hall. The father was a native of New York state and the mother was a near relative of ex-President Tyler, of Massachusetts. In 1846 they settled in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, on a traet of wild land which the father purchased and where the family lived some twenty years and whence they moved to DeKalb county, Illinois, where the father and mother passed the rest of their lives.
Gregory D. lived at home until he grew to manhood, working on his father's farm and attending the distriet school and the high school at Fort Atkinson. At the age of twenty-five he mar- ried and settled on a traet of land on the county line between Jefferson and Roek counties, and lived there seven years, but in 1866 sold his farm and removed with his family to Johnstown township, Roek county where he bought the farm on which he has sinee made his home. Mr. Hall's has been an active life throughout; elear-sighted, industrious and thrifty, his affairs prospered and he was not only a large land owner but also pos- sessor of other property interests so that he was counted among the substantial eitizens and wealthy farmers of Rock county. He
1037
BIOGRAPHICAL
spent his last days living in retirement from active work with his wife in the village of Johnstown Center.
In 1859 Mr. Hall married Miss Ann Eliza, daughter of John and Rebecca (Williams) Austin, a native of Albany county, New York. Her parents settled in Rock county in 1846 and spent their days there. Of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall, the eldest, Cora, is married to Mr. Derrick Dickinson, and lives at Darien, Wis .; Frank, the second child, is deceased; the third, Ulysses, married Miss Nettie Tiffany, and lives on a farm in Johnstown, Rock county. Mary Jane, the fourth, is the wife of Mr. Martin Morse, of Janesville; Otis Brown married Miss Jen- nie Peabody and is a resident of Johnstown Center, and William J., the youngest child, who married Miss Emma Webber, con- duets a store in Johnstown Center.
Mr. Hall was a Republican in politics and cast his first presi- dential ballot for John C. Fremont, in 1856. During his more active life he served as chairman of the town board and for eighteen years served as assessor of Johnstown township.
Mr. Hall died on the sixteenth day of June, 1907. The calm, patient and submissive spirit that so marked his earthly career was with him to the last and never was suffering borne with greater fortitude. He was a successful farmer, in him industry was personified. With his high ideals; a strict adherence to principle and untiring efforts success was certain. He was a man of strong personality and consequently of great influence. A strong will and an ambitious nature gave to him qualities which commanded the respect of all. An obliging neighbor, kind father and loving husband has passed away. His earthly day is done but the influence of a life well spent is lasting and eternal.
R. G. W. Lamb is one of the substantial farmers of Johnstown township, Rock county, Wisconsin. He comes from sturdy Scotch ancestry and was born in 1867, being the youngest of three chil- dren born to Robert and Anna (Risk) Lamb, both natives of Perthshire and Stirlingshire, Scotland, where the paternal grand- father, William Lamb, also lived engaged in farming.
In 1849 the father left his native land and came to the United States whither a brother (who shortly before that had died) had preceded him and settled in Section 33, Johnstown township, Rock county, Wisconsin. He there spent his life as a farmer, being esteemed in the community as an upright man, honorable
1038
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
and just in his dealings with others. He died in 1890, at the age of eighty-four years, and the mother who lived to be sixty-six years old, died in 1893. Their other children were William, who lives on a farm adjoining the family homestead, and James R., who resides in Janesville.
Our subject passed his boyhood on the home farm and re- ceived his education in the district schools and in the Milton Academy. The farm which is now owned by Mr. Lamb com- prises two hundred and forty acres of well improved land under cultivation, and twenty acres of second growth wood land.
Mr. Lamb is a man of progressive ideas, and has improved his farm with modern appliances. His farming operations are diversified in character and he gives special attention to raising high grade stock, and breeding registered Cyldesdale horses, also registered short horn cattle, pure breeds of hogs and sheep. He is a man of public spirit and in hearty sympathy with all that pertains to the material or moral betterment of the community and withal, fair and just with his fellows and upright and honor- able with all his dealings.
In September, 1903, Mr. Lamb married Miss Anna Hadden, daughter of Mr. James Hadden, a prominent and influential citi- zen of Rock, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work.
Mr. and Mrs. Lamb have an interesting family of four chil- dren, viz .: Elizabeth Risk, Robert Hadden, Sarah Janette and Anna Marion.
Mr. Lamb has found time in the midst of his various personal interests to take part in public matters, and has served in various township offices. His work has been crowned with good success and with his happy family, he lives in the enjoyment of social and domestic comforts the well merited reward of his indus- trious, sturdy and honorable career.
C. J. Wehler is one of the younger class of Rock county's suc- cessful farmers. A native of Johnstown township, he was born on March 27, 1872, and is the second of a family of four children born to Frederick and Caroline (Knispel) Wehler, both natives of Germany.
The father left the fatherland and came to this country when a boy of seventeen years, and settled in Rock county, Wisconsin. In 1878 he bought a farm in section 32, in Johnstown township, and there made his home and reared his family, and engaged in
1039
BIOGRAPHICAL
farming during the remainder of his lifetime, being an honorable and upright citizen and prosperous in his affairs. His death oc- curred September 11, 1886 when he was fifty years of age. His widow still lives on the homestead.
Of their children, John W. T., the eldest, lives in Turtle town- ship; Anna L. is married to Mr. Thomas Jones of Rock, Rock county, and George Frederick lives on the home place.
Our subject who lived at home during his boyhood working on the farm and attending the district schools, still continues on the family homestead carrying on the farm and being practically the active head of the family. The farm which is situated in Johnstown township comprises 160 acres of finely cultivated land besides a fine tract of wood land. The place is improved with a commodious farm house and substantial barns and out- buildings and supplied with all needful modern conveniences, all of which were placed on the farm by members of the family.
Mr. Wehler carries on farming in all its various branches and besides grain, gives much attention to breeding and raising cat- tle, horses and hogs.
On February 20, 1905, Mr. Wehler married Miss L. Clara Schoof, a daughter of Mr. Diedrich Schoof of Janesville.
Though still a young man, Mr. Wehler has become known in the community as a practical and progressive farmer and has at- tained a degree of success in his chosen occupation and a stand- ing in the community of which he may justly be proud.
James Hadden, a representative farmer and prominent citi- zen of Johnstown township, Rock county, Wisconsin, was born on February 15, 1840, in Haddingtonshire, Scotland, the native place of his parents, James and Ann (Brown) Hadden, and also of his grandfather, James Hadden, who was a farmer. The father came to the United States in 1856, bringing his family, and settled on a farm which he bought in section 6, Johnstown township, Rock county, Wisconsin. Later he sold this place and bought a farm in the southern part of the township and there passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1906 at the age of ninety-two years. He had a family of seven children, five of whom are now-1908, living.
Our subject on coming to Rock county began life on his own account, working on shares a farm in the south-east part of the township. He was thrifty and industrious and later purchased
1040
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
his present farm of 160 acres in section 32, Johnstown township, where he has made his home with his interesting family for many years. The place is finely improved with a modern dwelling house, substantial barns and other buildings, and supplied with all the necessary equipments and appliances of a model up-to- date farm. Besides carrying on general farming, Mr. Hadden is greatly interested in breeding high grade stock, making a spe- cialty of pure blooded short horn cattle and Cyldesdale horses.
In August, 1863, Mr. Hadden married Miss Eliza More, a na- tive of Sterlingshire, Scotland, who died in 1876, leaving three sons and one daughter, viz .: John, who lives in Mobile, Ala., en- gaged in railroading; James R., a farmer in Johnstown town- ship; William, who lives near Madison, Wis., and Anna, the wife of Mr. R. W. Lamb of Johnstown township. On June 2nd, 1878 Mr. Hadden married Miss S. S. Lee, a native of England, who died in 1899. Her parents, C. J. and Sarah Lee, English people, were early settlers of Wisconsin. At the time of the gold fever in 1849, the father went overland to California, where he and his wife now reside. By this second marriage three children were born, viz .: Sarah, Charles and Fred, who are living at home.
Mr. Hadden is a man of public spirit, interested and active in affairs and in hearty sympathy with all that tends to the ma- terial and moral betterment of the community. He is especially interested in educational matters and has served thirty years on the school board and has also served as chairman of the town board.
Warren Andrew, who was born in Center township, Rock county, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1855, is the second of three children born to David and Jane (Dodge) Andrew, both natives of Herkimer county, New York. The father, born April 17, 1816, lived in his native place until 1846, when he settled in Roek county, buying 220 acres of wild land in Center township. Here he made a home and reared his family, devoting himself to gen- eral farming. stock raising and growing tobacco and to improv- ing his farm, which at the time of his decease was one of the finest in that part of the county. He was a man of considerable influence in the community, a Republican in politics, and in all his affairs, honorable, upright and successful. He died on De- cember 3, 1899 and his body is interred in Bethel cemetery in Center township. His wife, whose death occurred September 24,
·
1041
BIOGRAPHICAL
1896 at the age of seventy-six years, passed her early life in their native place. She was an honored member of the Methodist church. Their children, besides our subject, are Jennie, the eld- est, now the wife of Mr. E. C. Hopkins of Milwaukee, and Emma, the youngest, who is married to Mr. H. W. Squires of Ames, Iowa.
After the death of his father, our subject came into possession of the family homestead, purchasing the interests of his sister, and besides owns an adjoining quarter-section in section 18. Mr. Andrew devoted himself to general farming until 1904, when he moved to Cainville and purchasing his present buildings and a stock of goods engaged in general merchandising in which he has been eminently successful. Mr. Andrew is a director of the Footville Telephone Company, and for two years served as as- sessor of Center township. He is a Democrat in political prinei- ples, and a member of Magnolia Camp No. 1434, Modern Wood- men of America, and for eight years was venerable consul of the camp. He has also for two years served as postmaster at Cainville.
On December 15, 1881 Mr. Andrew married Mis Alma S., daughter of Thomas and Marie Chase. The father, a farmer, was an early settler of Center township, and died there at the age of sixty-one years. His widow now lives with her children. Mrs. Andrew was born in Center township and there educated, and where she has always lived. She is a member of the Advent church.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew have two children, viz .: Jessie, born and reared in Center township, and now the wife of Harvey Wal- ton, a carpenter and foreman of a tobacco warehouse in Evans- ville, Wis., and David, who was born in Center township August 27, 1885. He was educated in Magnolia township, and at the Janesville Business College, and is now associated in business with his father as a partner.
William Huyke, for many years a prominent citizen of Rock county, Wisconsin, was born in Montgomery county, New York, July 31, 1818 the son of Christopher and Mary (Jenkins) Huyke, both of whom passed their entire lives in Montgomery county, New York, the father dying in 1832 and the mother in 1825. William attended the public schools in his early boyhood, but after the death of his parents, worked by the month part of the year and attended school during the winter months. In 1840,
1042
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
going to Orleans county, New York, he engaged in farming on shares, and also operated a threshing machine; here he met and on September 10, 1842, married Miss Mary Letts, and a little later moved to Calhoun county, Michigan, where in 1843 he pur- chased a farm. This he sold in 1844, and moved to Rock county, Wisconsin and bought a quarter section of wild land in sections 22 and 27, Magnolia township, and built on it a log cabin and made a home for himself and family, devoting his time to culti- vating and improving his land. He was a hard worker and thrifty, and prospered in his work with the increasing responsi- bilities of a growing family. In 1853 he suffered a great loss in the death of his wife, who left surviving four children, viz. : Clement A., who now lives at Ashland, Neb .; George, who died at the age of twenty-seven; Byron T., who lives in Canada, and Amelia, who died at the age of twenty-two. Returning to Or- leans county, New York in 1855, he married Miss Harriet Shur- ger, brought her to his home and continued his farming opera- tions. Death again entered his household on February 22, 1862, taking away his second wife, who had borne him two children, one of whom died in infancy and the other, John A., now lives retired from active work at Oxford in Rock county.
Mr. Huyke married for his third wife Miss Cordelia Shurger, a sister of his former wife who died in 1864, and on October 7 of the following year he took to wife Miss Carrie Lane.
Mr. Huyke sold his farm in 1857 and moved to Moore county, Minnesota and bought 320 acres of land which he kept until the Fall of 1858, and then sold it and returned to Rock county and bought the farm now occupied by his widow, consisting of 120 acres in sections 26 and 34, Magnolia township. Mr. Huyke was essentially a man of affairs, and besides carrying on his farm, devoted much time to outside matters. He served as deputy sheriff of Rock county from 1852 to 1856 and also was engaged some two years in shipping grain in Janesville. In politics he was a Republican, and in religious faith a Universalist. He took an active part in building the first railroad in Rock county, hav- ing the contract for grading between Milton and Janesville, and in all matters pertaining to the material and moral betterment of the community, was in hearty sympathy and accord. Inter- ested in all educational matters, he was especially active in in- creasing the efficiency of the district schools. He was a careful
1043
BIOGRAPHICAL
student of religious subjects and movements, and by constant reading and study, kept himself in touch with the trend of cur- rent events of the day. During his last years, impaired health prevented his attending to the active duties of his farm, and on May 26, 1898 he passed away full of years and good works and leaving to his family what is more enduring than houses and lands-the heritage of a manly character and an honored life.
Mrs. Huyke who now resides on the family homestead, is a daughter of Hiram and Betsey (Nicholas) Lane, the father a na- tive of New York state, and the mother of Massachusetts. The father, a blacksmith by occupation went to Ohio before his mar- riage, and there worked at his trade but in 1855 settled with his family on a farm in Rutland township, Dane county Wisconsin. A year later he sold his farm and moved to Edgerton, Rock county, and there followed his trade till a short time before his death, which occurred when he was seventy-two years of age. He survived his wife some three years, she dying at the age of sixty-three. He was an honored member of the Methodist church and his wife of the United Brethren church, and their bodies are interred side by side in what is known as "Ball Tavern ceme- tery" in Porter township, Rock county. Of nine children born to them, five are now (1907) living. Mrs. Huyke, who was born in Cleveland, O., was educated there and in Dane county, Wis- consin. She is a member of the Advent church. Mrs. Huyke is the mother of two sons-William, who was born on the family homestead January 26, 1868, was educated in the district schools of the neighborhood and now carries on the home farm; Fred, a younger son, died at the age of two years, three months and twenty-one days, and is buried by the side of his father in Mag- nolia township.
Arba F. Townsend, whose life has been spent in Rock county, Wisconsin, was born in Magnolia township on May 31, 1853, the fourth of ten children born to Hosea and Harriet (Royer) Town- send. The father, a native of Vermont, was born in 1810 and followed farming all his life. In 1847 he settled in Magnolia township, Rock county, Wisconsin, taking up eighty acres of wild land which he improved, making a home where he lived and reared his family. Adding to his original purchase from time to time, he owned at the time of his decease, June 20, 1885, some four hundred acres nearly all under cultivation, besides some
1044
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
timber land. He was one of the first to grow tobacco in Magnolia township, and besides dealing extensively in that commodity. devoted himself to general farming and raising stoek. His farm was finely improved, one of the best in the township. He was a prosperous, progressive and active man of affairs, domestie in his tastes and a lover of his home and family and loyal to his friends. A Democrat in politics, he served as chairman of the board of supervisors of his township, and wherever known, was held in the highest esteem for his upright, manly character. He was a great reader, knew men and kept himself well informed and in touch with the trend of current events of the day. He was a Universalist in religious faith. His wife, who was born in New York state in 1831, was educated in the common schools there. She afterward moved to Pennsylvania with her parents and lived there until her marriage, November 7, 1842. Her death occurred on February 15, 1907 at the old homestead in Magnolia township, where she had lived since 1848. She was a woman given to good work and charitable deeds and never was happier than when she could render a service to some one in need, and it was truly said of her "her life was one of beneficence and good will to all." Of her ten children, those besides our subjeet are : Elizabeth, the wife of William Stewart of Shellrock, Iowa ; George and Delbert, farmers of Magnolia township; Alice, wife of Mr. Frank Clark of Magnolia township; Hattie, who is married to Mr. Hyatt Weaver; Hosea, a twin of Hattie, who died at the age of twenty-two years; Emma, Abel and one unnamed died in early infancy.
Arba F. received his education in the district schools of his native place and passed his boyhood helping on the farm. He remained on the old homestead until he was twenty-five years old and then moved on to his present farm which came to him from his father's estate, and comprising eighty aeres besides which he owns seventy-five acres in section 25 which he eulti- vates. Mr. Townsend has greatly enhanced the value of his farm sinee taking possession of it by making many improvements in the way of buildings and other modern appliances, and has what is known as one of the model farms of his township. He has been an extensive tobacco grower for more than twenty-five years besides engaging in general farming and stock raising, and
1045
BIOGRAPHICAL
is rightly counted among the prosperous and progressive men of his community.
Mr. Townsend is a Republican in politics, and for seven years last past has served as township treasurer. He is an active mem- ber and second elder of the Adventist's Christian church of Mag- nolia, and also belongs to Magnolia Camp No. 1434, Modern Woodmen of America.
On June 30, 1877 Mr. Townsend married Miss Belle Letts, who was born in Magnolia township, February 22, 1860 and edu- cated in the public schools there. She is the daughter of Mr. George G. and Christina (Harper) Letts, and in her religious faith is affiliated with the same church as that of her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Townsend have had nine children, eight of whom are living. Hattie, the eldest, born May 23, 1878, died at the age of nineteen years; Elmer, born April 9, 1880, is an engineer on the North-Western railroad and lives at Janesville. He married Miss Laura Shroeder and has one child, Glenys; Hosea, born De- cember 4, 1881, lives at home; Roy, a machinist, lives in Beloit, born October 9, 1884; Bessie, born September 9, 1887, is a gradu- ate of Janesville high school and is now a teacher in district No. 5, Magnolia township; Bruce, born May 12, 1890; Eva and Ella, twins, born November 15, 1893, and Lester, born October 20, 1896, all living at home.
George G. Letts is a native of Orleans county, New York and was born August 31, 1826, and is one of three survivors of a family of nine children born to Simon and Margaret (Fortner) Letts, both natives of Shelby, Orleans county, New York. Their other surviving children are Catherine, the wife of Mr. J. R. Whitney, and Cordelia, the wife of Mr. Alonzo Weaver, both of Magnolia township, Rock county.
The father, who spent his life as a farmer, was born in 1793, and died in 1858. The mother was born in 1795 and died in 1871. They were honored members of the Christian church and lived and died at their native place and their bodies were interred side by side in the cemetery at Shelby.
George G. received a common school education in his native place and at the age of twenty-two settled in Magnolia town- ship, Rock county on the farm of eighty acres where he still lives.
From a tract of wild land, Mr. Letts has transformed his farm into one of the most fertile and productive in the county and im-
1046
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
proved it with a fine class of buildings and all the necessary ap- pliances of an up-to-date farm. Besides carrying on general farming and stock raising, and with all, has always been thrifty, prosperous and successful. He is known as an active, energetic · man, and has contributed his full share in the development of the county and community in which he lives. In politics Mr. Letts was in early life a Republican, but now supports the Prohibition party. He is an active member of the Adventist church of Mag- nolia, and has for many years served it as a deacon.
On June 1, 1853 Mr. Letts married Miss Cristina, daughter of Robert and Susan Harper, early settlers of Magnolia township. Mrs. Letts died April 25, 1864, leaving four children. Of these, Susan Emma is the wife of Mr. Wallace Andrews of Magnolia township, and has four children: Christina, George and John (twins), and Wilbur.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.