The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., Part 115

Author: Wesern historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 899

USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc. > Part 115

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).

HENRY F. HOBART, editor and proprietor of the Beloit Free Press.

AARON F. HOLLISTER, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Beloit ; born in Manchester, Conn., in 1823 ; came to Beloit in 1845, and took up eighty acres of Government land in Sec. 18; he built the residence he now occupies, with barns, etc. Married, in Beloit, Jan. 1, 1854, Sarah Smiley ; they have six children ; they all attend the Methodist Church. He was elected Justice of the Peace several times; served two years. He now owns 160 acres of land in Beloit, in Sec. 18, and 40 acres in Newark, in Sec. 13.

J. A. HOLMES, Surveyor; was born in Londonderry, Rockingham Co., N. H., March 9, 1819, and came to Wisconsin May 1, 1874, locating in Beloit; Mr. Holmes received his education at Blanchard Academy, Pembroke, N. H., and was afterward employed in farming and surveying; in 1861, he moved to Fisherville, N. H., and engaged in the hardware business with Mr. Evans, under the firm name of Holmes & Evans, and also in connection with G. W. Abbott and J. Sawyer; in 1870, built a block of brick buildings on Main and Washington streets; from Fisherville he moved to Beloit, where he engaged in surveying; in 1854, he was one of the Supervisors of Londonderry, N. H .; in 1855, was Tax Col- ector for the same town ; from 1862 to 1866, was Alderman of First Ward Fisherville; in 1870 was Assessor, and from 1872 to 1873 a member of the House of Representatives from Fisherville. Mr. Holmes married, April 30, 1844, Deborah Rolfe, of Concord, N. H. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes are members of the Presbyterian Church at Beloit.

SYLVESTER HOUSE, of the firm of Smith & House, grocers; born in Montgomery Co .. N. Y., 1832; came to Wisconsin in January, 1869, and located at Beloit ; in 1873, formed a partnership with G. E. Smith, and opened a grocery store under the style of Smith & House. Married, May 20, 1859, Miss Augusta A. Young, of New York ; had four children-Elmer H., born July, 1862, and a twin

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brother to Elmer, who died a few hours after birth ; Gertrude, born April 25, 1869 ; Ann, May 11, 1870; Republican ; Member Congregational Church.

G. A. HOUSTON, Superintendent Merrill & Houston Iron Works ; came to Beloit from New Hampshire, his native State, in October, 1838; his father, John P. Houston, came to Beloit in 1837, but did not bring his family here until 1838; he was a wagon-maker and millwright; the first wagon, buggy and plow manufactured here were made by him, and he was engaged as millwright in the construction of the first flouring-mill in this section ; he still survives to see extensive manufactories in place of the primi- tive shops and mills which in an early day supplied the wants of the people. G. A. Houston was for several years extensively engaged in bridge-building, principally for railway companies ; for about ten years carried on flouring mills; for two years engaged in lumbering ; in 1869, he designed the turbine water-wheel, now being extensively manufactured by the Merrill & Houston Iron Works ; this is one of the most popular wheels manufactured; it is used at the Rock Island Arsenal, and the sales extend throughout North and South America, Europe, etc .; since 1869, Mr. Houston has devoted his attention almost exclusively to manufacturing business.

. D. JACKSON was born in Wellsboro, Tioga Co., Penn., Dec. 18, 1816, and came to Wisconsin about October 15, 1852 ; he attended school at Wellsboro, and from there went to Sandusky Co. for one year and engaged in farming, thence he moved to Henry Co., Ohio, where he learned the car- penter's trade, and from there to Saybrook, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, where he worked ut carpenter and millwright work on his own account; from Saybrook he went to Belvidere, Ill., and worked at his trade on his own account, and from there came to Beloit, where he engaged in carpentering, railroad work and bridge.building ; he is at present with the Parker & Dennett Reaper Manufacturing Co. Mr. Jackson married, November 25, 1842, Elmira Tyler, of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y ; he has four children living, named Harriet, Frank, Fred and Helen. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Beloit.

PARSONS JOHNSON, insurance, loan agent and Notary Public, East Bridge street ; was born July 17, 1820, in Somers, Tolland Co., Conn .; removed to Stafford, Conn., Chicopee Falls, Hampden Co., Mass, thence to North Adams, Berkshire Co., Mass., where he was engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods ; this business being detrimental to his health, he went to Greenwich, N. Y., and, in 1848, manufactured boots and shoes, firm of Johnson, Wells & Co., for three years; in 1851, went to Rutland, Vt., where he manufactured boots and shoes on his own account, for three years, when he admitted Mr. Littlefield as partner, the firm then being Johnson & Littlefield, and continued for one year ; from Rutland, Vt., he removed to Beloit, Wis., in October, 1855, bought a farm of fifty-six acres and farmed it for one year, then entered the farming and produce business, selling at retail and shipping to market, and, in connection with Mr. King, under the firm name of King & Johnson, furnished supplies for the soldiers and necessary feed for the horses of the 13th Wis. Regt., and the 9th Cav. Regt. He then accepted the position of commercial traveler for Barrett, Cossett & Smith, wholesale grocers, of Chicago; in 1871, went into the insurance business, and is now representing the following Companies : The Hartford, Conn .; Phoenix, of Brooklyn ; The Fire Association, of Philadelphia ; Northwestern National, of Milwaukee ; The Milwaukee M. M .; The American, of Chicago; The Westchester, of New York ; The Imperial & Northern, of London, Eng .; The Queen, of London, Eng .; The Lancashire, of London, Eng., and the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co. In 1854, he was Justice of the Peace in Rutland, Vt., for two years; in 1857, was Constable in Beloit, and, about the year 1859, was elected Alderman of the First Ward, in which office he served for seven years ; about the year 1868, he was elected City Mar- shal, and also appointed Deputy Sheriff, under Sheriff Putman for one year and under Sheriff Johnson for two years. Mr. Johnson married, January 1, 1843, Roxanna Littlefield, of Readsboro, Bennington Co., Vt .; they have three children living-Mary A., Edgar M. and Emma E. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the First Congregational Church, at Beloit.

CHARLES E. JONES was born Feb. 18, 1844, at Litchfield, Herkimer Co., N. Y., and came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1850, locating at Magnolia, fourteen miles west of Janesville; from Litch- field he went to Magnolia, and then to Red Wing, Minn., where he went to school, and where he was engaged part of one summer on a brick-yard; he then went to Janesville, and was employed by H. E. Patterson ; from there he engaged with the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad, first as fireman and then as engineer, for fourteen months ; then went to Davenport, Iowa, and learned the machine business ; he was then engaged with the Northern Line Packet Steamship Company, and was engineer of the steamer Muscatine for one year ; in 1864, was engineer of the steamer Edward Walsh, a transport for the United States troops, and was in the employ of the Government until the spring of 1865; he was also engineer of the gunboat Elta ; he then went to Chicago and engaged as engineer with the Atlantic & Mississippi Steamship Company, and was engineer of the steamers J. C. Swan and Mollie Able; in March,

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1867, he went to Janesville, and in April, 1867, came to Beloit and entered the employ of the Merrill & Houston Iron Company, first as a journeyman, then as foreman, and afterward in traveling and putting up their work. Mr. Jones was engineer of steam fire engine No. 2, of Janesville, for eight months. He married, March 1, 1868, Delia E. Smith, of Port Washington, Wis .; has three children living-Cora, Burt and Bessie. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Second Congregational Church, at Beloit.

REV. H. S. JORDAN, Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; was born at Concord, Morgan Co., Ill., April 9, 1854 ; came to Wisconsin May 1, 1878, and located at Beloit ; from Concord he moved with his father to Springfield, Ill .; from Springfield to Quincy ; thence to Decatur, and to De Witt, where he commenced going to school; from De Witt he moved to Arcadia, Ill., and attended school; then moved to Bethel, Ill., and to Moroa, Ill., and went to farming ; moved to Limerick, Ill .; thence to Princeton, where, from the fall of 1873, he taught his first school until the spring of 1875. Mr. Jordan was converted and joined the church in February, 1875, and April 18, 1875, he preached his first sermon, at Somonauk, Ill., and the same month was appointed Pastor in charge of Miller's Chapel, near Peru ; Sept. 3, went to Adrian College, Mich., to finish his theological and literary studies, which he began under his father, and remained there until April 25, 1878, supplying the pulpits of the Congrega- tional and Methodist Episcopal Churches; on the 15th of September, he was ordained as an Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church by the Northern Illinois Conference, convened at Lenox, Ill. From Adrian .he came to Beloit and accepted the charge he now has. Mr. Jordan is a great-grandson to Rev. James Simms, the first Methodist preacher in Illinois, and a grandson of Rev. John L. Kirkpatrick, who was a Captain in the regular army during the Black Hawk war.

SYDNEY L. JUDD, dentist, Broad street ; came, October, 1865, to Rock Co .; a native of Stratford, Orange Co., Vt., born Jan. 9, 1826; left Vermont in 1847; went to Manchester, N. II., in 1851, and learned trade of machinist; went to Lowell, Mass., and worked at his trade; left in 1854, went to Rockford, Ill., worked at his trade until 1859, that time commenced taking contracts for building reap ers. etc., etc. Studied dentistry under Dr. Norman, of Rockford; afterward went to Canada (London). and took a contract for building engines; returned to Rockford in 1864, and came to Beloit in 1865. Married, 1852, Miss Elizabeth R. Colby, a native of New Hampshire; have had two children, both dead. Methodists.

C. C. KEELER, dealer in lumber, cor. State and Race streets ; was born at Highgate, Franklin Co., Vt., March 23, 1835, and came to Wisconsin in 1855, locating at Beloit, where, for eight years, he was book-keeper for Fisher & Winchester, hardware merchants; in 1869, in connection with Mr. J. B. Pect, he started the lumber, agricultural implement, grain and coal business, which business has been car- ried to a successful issue to the present time. In 1860-61-62, he was Clerk of the city of Beloit, and in the fall of 1862, resigned that position to fill the office of Register of Deeds for Rock Co., to which he was elected, holding the office six years; he was a member of the County Board for six years, and, in 1867-68, was chairman of that Board. Mr. Keeler married, on the 19th day of April, Catherine M Spalding, of Merrimac. Hillsboro Co., N. H .; he has one child living-Edwin H. Keeler.

JUDGE JOHN M. KEEP (deceased); born in Homer, Cortland Co., N. Y., Jan. 26, 1813, the son of Gen. Martin Keep; he was partly educated in a district school, and, in 1832, entered Hamilton College and graduated from there in 1836; he at once began the study of law in the office of Augustus Donnelly, of Homer, and then went to Buffalo, N. Y., where he completed his studies in the office of Horatio Sey- mour, Esq .; he then returned to Westfield, N. Y., and was admitted to the bar and immediately com- menced the practice of law as an attorney ; the same year he moved to Rockton, Ill., where he remained till 1844, and then came to Beloit City, where he at once began the practice of law, and, at the same time, was actively engaged in advancing the settlement of the town, acting as agent for the sale of lands and constructing buildings. He was married in 1839, to Miss Cornelia A. Reynolds, daughter of John N. Reynolds, of Westfield, N. Y. He was elected Judge of the First Judicial District of Wisconsin, in 1856. without opposition, and, after filling the office for two successive years, he was compelled to resign because of the pressure of his private business; he continued the practice of law up to the time of his death, which occurred March 2, 1861 ; he left his wife, two sons and two daughters to mourn his loss.

MARTIN KEHOE, born in Ireland in 1836; came to Rockford, Ill., in 1858, where he remained five months engaged in the shoe business ; he then went to Janesville, Wis., and remained nine months, then came to Beloit, in 1871, and started business as a wholesale dealer in domestic and imported wines, liquors and brandies; Mr. K. has always made it a point to obtain his supplies direct from first hands, thereby insuring to his patrons pure, unadulterated goods of the very best quality; his fine Bour- bon sour-mash whiskies are bought directly from Kentucky distillers, and his wines and brandies are bought in New York City, directly from the importers; he carries in stock a fine line of Hennessey

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Brandies, unequaled by any other; also a full line of wines, liquors and imported cigars. His place of business is located on State street, near Broad. He married, in 1863, Miss Mary Kelly, a native of New York ; they had ten children, eight now living.

EUGENE F. KENDALL, was born Dec. 25, 1837, in Granby, Conn .; came to Wisconsin early in February, 1856, locating at Beloit ; he moved from Granby to Tariffville,'Conn., where he learned the carpenter's trade with his father ; from Tariffville he moved to Beloit, and engaged in carpentering until June, 1862, when he engaged with the Merrill & Houston Iron Works, as pattern-maker for about three years, when he became foreman of the wood-working department of that firm. Mr. Kendall mar- ried, February 6, 1866, Eliza Millmore, of Janesville, Wis. Members of the Presbyterian Church at Beloit.

DAVID T. KENYON, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Beloit; born in Rhode Island, in 1822; he came to Wisconsin in the spring of 1846, and located in Rock Co .; he bought 160 acres Government land in Sauk Township which he sold again ; he is a carpenter by trade, and worked at his trade in Janesville and Milton until 1855; he then bought fifty acres land in Section 11, Rock Township, built a residence and made all improvements ; he lived there five years and then sold it, and lived in Milton, La Prairie and Janesville, until he came to Beloit Township; in 1876, he rented the farm known as Roberts' farm, in Section 1, on which he now lives. He married in 1850, in Janesville, Mary E. Buell; they have five children.

GEORGE KETTLEWELL was born in England July 25, 1836 ; came to Wisconsin November, 1849, locating in Beloit, and immediately engaged with Parker & Stone as general helper, then as journeyman, and afterward as foreman in the iron department, shortly after which he was made Super- intendent of the whole establishment. Mr. Kettlewell filled a vacancy in the Board of Aldermen, and was Chief Engineer of the Beloit Fire Department. He married, September 13, 1873, Hettie Burr, of Hartford, Conn., who is a relation of Aaron Burr; they have one child living-Hattie-and had one child killed in the Ashtabula disaster. His wife is a member of the Episcopal Church at Beloit.

W. D. KENZIE, foreman in McDonald's Sash, Door and Blind Manufactory; was born in Niles, Mich., June 21, 1844, and came to Wisconsin March 4. 1870, locating in Racine ; he was educated in Niles, and was an apprentice in an architect's office; he removed from Niles to Marshall, Mich., where he was foreman for three years in a sash and door manufactory ; from Marshall he went to Racine, where at first he was foreman and afterward had one-third interest in a sash, door and blind manufactory; was also for three years foreman of Miner & Co's. Sash, Door and Blind Manufactory ; he then went to Beloit, and engaged as foreman with Mr. McDonald in the sash, door and blind manufactory, which position he D .. w holds. Mr. Kenzie enlisted in 1861, in Co. A, 6th Regt. Mich. V. I., Col. Joseph Bacon, served one year and three months; received his discharge by order of the Secretary of War, on November 13, 1862, and immediately enlisted in Co. F, First Regular U.S. Artillery, in which he served three years, and of which Co. he was First Sergeant for two years ; received his discharge November 13, 1865; Mr. Kenzie was in the battles of Baton Rouge, La .; Marksville Plains, La .; Alexandria, La .; Opelousas, La .; Bayou La Teche and during the entire siege of Port Hudson; this company had originally 120 men, but was decimated in these battles to but twenty-two men, and, for that reason, were ordered to New York City to recruit, after the battle of Marksville Plains, September 20, 1864; from New York City they went to Washington and remained there until the close of the war, when they were mustered out, November 30, 1865, at Fort Trumbull. Mr. Kenzie married, February 11, 1866, Fannie V. Graves, of Rochester, N. Y .; has three children living-Belle, Maud and James. His wife is a member of St. Paul's Episco- pal Church at Beloit.

MRS. MARY ANN KNILE, widow, Sec. 29; P. O. Beloit; born in Norfolk, England, in 1812; the daughter of John and Mary Sterry; she married in England, in 1837, Henry Knile. who was born in Gloucestershire. England, in 1806 ; in 1849, they came to America and located in Genesee Co., N. Y. ; in 1853, they came to Beloit, and her husband bought the east half of Sec. 29, forty acres of which was improved and a residence on it, which they occupied for six years; Mr. Knile died in this house in 1858, and is buried in Beloit; after her husband's death, she built, in 1859, the residence she now occupies, with barns; she now owns this residence and ninety-one acres of land, having sold the rest at different times. She had eight children, four now living; her son Thomas married Lida Waggoner ; has three children, and is now living at his mother's house; he enlisted in the 2d W. V. I .; was with his regiment two years, and at both the battles of Bull Run and other engagements ; her son Sidney enlisted in 4th Wis. Battery and died at Portsmouth, Va., of typhoid pneumonia.

RUFUS LANE, Superintendent Eclipse Wind-Mill Co .; was born in Newark, Licking Co., Ohio, on May 31, 1824 ; he received his early education in Newark, and shortly after moved to Delaware,

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Ohio, where, for ten years, he was engaged in manufacturing stationary and portable engines, mill work and machinist's tools; he was a partner in this concern under the firm name of Bradley, Burnham & Co., and the manufactory was known as the Olentangy Iron Works; in 1857, he sold out his interest in the iron works and moved to Freeport, Ill., and was engaged there on his own account in the manufacture of reapers on contract with P. Manny & Co .; this establishment employed 105 men ; some of these goods found their way into foreign countries, one shipment of eighty-eight machines going to Australia ; he sold out his interest in Freeport in 1862; went to Dubuque, Iowa, and commenced the manufacture of fan- ning-mills on his own account, and in three years' time manufactured about four thousand mills; he sold out this business in 1865; went to the Rocky Mountains and was engaged in mining in Central City. Gilpin Co., and also had charge of the Black Hawk Mining Co.'s machinery ; from Central City, in 1875, he went to Belleville, Ill., and was manager of the Pump and Skein Co., at that place; April 10, 1866, he went to Delavan, and was manager and constructor of wind-mills; on Dec. 16, 1878, he went to Beloit to take charge of the foundry and machine work of the Eclipse Wind-Mill Co., which manufactory is controlled by W. H. Wheeler & Co. Mr. Lane is essentially a self-made man, having gained promi- nence in his profession by his own exertions. Mr. Lane married Jan. 11, 1838, Abiah C. Allen, of Syracuse, N. Y. ; he has four children living-Delia C., Mary D., Grove L. and James R.

C. P. LEDELL; born in Norway, on July 24, 1830; son of Henry Ledell, from Dis- trict of Christiana, Norway. Mr. C. P. Ledell came to America, and to Janesville in 1853; was there till May, then came to Beloit and worked in the plow works till 1856; then was with Warner & Co., and, in August, 1857, returned to Norway on a visit, and returned in April, 1858, and came to Beloit in June; went into partnership with C. Houston, which continued about a year, then worked for Parker & Stone; was there eight years, then engaged with J. Thompson & Co., where he now is engaged as a skilled work. man. Married Betsy M. Peterson, a native of Norway, April 2, 1853; have had five children-Mary, born July 7, 1854; Julia, died in infancy ; Henry, born in Beloit March 18, 1860 (is working with his father); Peter, born Oct. 28, 1861 ; Julius, born in June, 1863. Mr. Ledell helped to build the fine bridge across the Rock River at Beloit.

HUGH LEE, farmer, Sec. 30; P. O. Beloit; born in Northumberland, England, in 1803; came to Boston, Mass., in 1815; moved to Oneida Co., N. Y., where he lived four years; then moved to Toronto, Canada, where he was in the Canadian Government service as surveyor ; he returned to Oneida Co. and remained till 1825; then went to Delaware, where he was engaged for nine years in contracting on the Chesapeake and Delaware Ship Canal, the largest in the world ; in 1834, he was employed by the United States Government, as inspector of stone and weighmaster on the Delaware breakwater, near Cape May. which was completed in 1838; from that time up to 1842, he was contracting and engineering on different railroads in the East and West; in 1842, came to Wisconsin, located in Beloit, and took up 640 acres Government land in Sec. 30, part of which he has sold; he built residence and barns, and otherwise improved it. He married, in Philadelphia, in 1829, Ann Jane Kirkbride, daughter of Capt. Kirkbride (an active officer in the Revolutionary war, as sea captain ), and niece of Capt. David Moffatt, a noted man, and Master Warder of Port for twenty years; they had seven children, four now living; four of his sons were in the late war and were all honorably discharged ; he was engaged in farming until 1849, when he again entered public life and was engaged on several Western railroads as engineer, contractor and surveyor; also surveyed the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, and continued at this business up to within a few years ; he has now retired, and one of his sons is working his farm.

H. J. LEONARD, glove manufacturer ; was born in St. Johnsville, N. Y., Nov. 7, 1839, and came to Wisconsin about 1852, locating at Beloit ; Mr. Leonard received his education in Beloit, and, in 1866, commenced the manufacture of gloves, in which business he is still ; he enlisted, June 13. 1861, in Co. L, 1st Iowa Cav., Col. Fitz Henry Warren, and was engaged in the battles of Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge, Little Rock, Ark .; Bayou Metoe, Ark .; Jenkins Ferry, Ark .; Lexington, Mo., and on the road between Little Rock and Camden ; was under fire forty days in succession ; the latter part of the war. he was engaged in scouting; he was mustered out April 1, 1866. Mr. Leonard is a member of the Second Congregational Church at Beloit.

ISRAEL S. LOVE, born in Washington Co., N. Y .; he came to Michigan in spring of 1832 and lived there till fall of 1844, when he came to Rockton, Ill., and engaged in manufacturing fanning mills, which he carried on with fair success till 1847 ; he then came to Beloit and bought one-third interest in a foundry and machine-shop, owned by Gardner & Barker; after a little time Mr. Gardner sold out his interest ; Mr. Charles Walker, of Chicago, who owned the whole water-power on the river. bought his interest, one-third of the foundry and machine-shop business, taking it as part pay for two-thirds interest in the water-power; in 1850, they were engaged in manufacturing reapers, the first ever made in

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Wisconsin ; in 1851, a heavy freshet-the heaviest ever known-swept away the dam ; they built another dam and continued in the business ; Mr. Barker, the second partner, died at the time, and Mr. Walker took his one-third interest, making him the owner of two-thirds ; in 1856, Mr. Love also sold out his inter- est to Mr. Walker, retired from that business and again began the manufacture of reapers, which he continued till 1860 and then suspended, and since that time has not been engaged in active business : he held the position of route agent from 1861 till 1865, and then resigned his position and retired fromn business altogether and has done nothing since ; he owns four lots in the city with tenement houses, and has an annual income from them sufficient to live on. He was married in York State, in 1830, to Nancy Smith, and they had one child, now dead ; his wife died in Beloit, December 25, 1870; he was married again, in Erie Co., N. Y., in 1871, to Mrs. Catherine E. Thurber, a widow, and brought her to Beloit in May, 1874, where she died March 21, 1876; then married again, in September, 1876, in Chicago, to Mrs. Elizabeth Hoseman, a resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and they now reside in Beloit City.

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The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., Part 115

Author: Wesern historical company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 899

Author: Wesern historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 899