USA > Wisconsin > Waukesha County > The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources; an extensive and minute sketch of its cities, towns and villages etc > Part 145
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HENRY A. LUKE, farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Waukesha ; born Aug. 12, 1843, in New Berlin ; is a son of Henry A. and Barbara (Damm) Luke, and was the third German child born in New Berlin ; the family settled in September, 1841, on Sec. 20 of this town. Christian Damm, the father of Mrs. Luke, settled here in August, 1840, and in 1846, gave Mr. Luke 80 acres of land; beginning on this timbered farm in a log house, he worked most faithfully, replacing the log house in 1860, with the large and handsome residence now so good a home for his family. Mr. Luke died in June, 1862, leaving two children-H. A. and Katrina C. Mrs. Luke married B. Prior, and shares the home with her son who married Amelia Dexheimer Oct. 4, 1865 ; she was born in December, 1849, in Bavaria, her parents coming to America soon after ; Mr. and Mrs. Luke have four children-Emily A., Tina C., Henrietta F. and Alvina M., losing the eldest, a son, Louis H. The family belong to the German Reformed Church. In politics, he is a liberal and independent. The homestead contains 160 acres, and Mrs. Prior has 66 ; the home buildings and farm have been much improved by Mr. Luke since his honored father's death.
JAMES MURPHY, farmer, Sec. 32 ; P. O. Prospect Hill ; born June 27, 1842, in County of West Meath, Ireland ; his parents, Daniel and Elizabeth Murphy ; came to America in 1851, located in West Chester Co., N. Y ; came to Wisconsin 1856, residing in Beloit and Richland Cos. James Murphy enlisted, November 1, 1861, in Co. F. 3d W. V. I. ; the regiment was first in Missouri and Kansas ; at Montevello, the first fight, the officers became excited, gave contrary orders, the men got scared and "skedaddled ; " Mr. M., as gunner for a howitzer, was ordered to Ft. Gibson, I. T .; participating in the battle of Prairie Grove, after which he was one of a party of twenty sent to stampede a rebel force at Cane Hill, Ark., and by a night attack, did stampede ; the boys next took Van Buren, Ark., repulsed an assault by Hindman, and left the town, re-occupying it a year later, and using it as a base for raiding ; a raid on Dallas, Texas, gave them 100 prisoners; pursuing Gen. Price from Jefferson City, Mo., the wily rebel turned and thrashed them, driving them to Independence, where they were reinforced, which enabled them to whip him in turn, and drive him over the Arkansas; at the end of three years and four months Mr. M. received his honorable discharge, and rejoined the old folks in Richland Co., where he lived until Septem- ber, 1870, when he settled on his present farm of 40 acres ; seven years later he built of Cream city brick, a large and elegant house, and made other improvements ; his wife was Harriet J., daughter of William Vanderpool ; he was born in Albany Co., N. Y., and married Elbridge Dodge, a native of Ludlow, Vt., who died, leaving her three children-Dike H., Eben V. and Gertrude L. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, have two children-Guy J. and Dan M. Mr. Murphy is a Republican ; Mr. Dodge enlisted August, 1862, in the 25th W. V. I., which regiment was sent to Minnesota, at the time of the Sioux outbreak ; he returned to Cairo, Ill., where Mr. Dodge died, and is buried.
E. G. NEEDHAM, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Elm Grove; born in the town of Union, Tolland Co., Conn., Feb. 1, 1817 ; his father, Elisha, married Chloe Strong, and died in 1822. E. G. Needham farmed in Connecticut until June, 1840, when he came to Wisconsin, bought, and three years later sold, a farm in Brookfield ; purchased his present farm in 1842, paid $400, $100 down; during the next six years he boarded with a family in Brookfield, and chopped, logged and burned on his own land, completed a log house in 1849, which still stands as a monument in memory of times thirty years ago. He married, Jan., 10, 1850, Miss Caroline Koch, a native of New Teirmgin, Prussia ; her parents died in her infancy,
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she coming with an uncle to America in 1847. Mr. and Mrs. N., lived 19 years in the log house, he then building the substantial stone house now so good a home for them and their six children ; Chloe, Mary, Louisa, Esther, Julia and Anna ; a son Martin, died at 12, and they lost three others. Mr. N. is a Con- gregationalist, and a Republican. In 1840 there was no house on the line of the present Town Line Road for two or three miles east or west of where he now lives; $1.75 and $2 per cord was what his cord-wood sold for in Milwaukee ; his 120 acres is now partly covered with timber, which is worth about as much as the cleared land.
WILLIAM S. PARSONS, deceased; was a pioneer of New Berlin, as well as one of its most favorably known residents ; was born Jan. 25, 1810, in Boston, Mass .; orphaned at nine years; his schooling was attained in his native city, where he learned blacksmithing in a carriage factory. Hannah St. John was born Nov. 5, 1814, in Norwalk, Conn., where she married Mr. Parsons, Jan. 2, 1831 ; soon after, they started West to Coldwater Prairie, Mich., residing there until June 1837, when they came to New Berlin. The present Parsons homestead was claimed by a person named Turk, who sold it to Mr. Conover, who abandoned it; Mr Parsons and family settled in a log house here in June, and on Conover's return bought the claim for $10; it was heavily timbered and slow progress was made, scarcely enough being raised to supply the needs of the family during the first two years, so that when the claim came into market, in 1839, Mr. Parsons was compelled to induce a Mr. Scott to buy the claim and hold it for him ; Willam S. Parsons was not one to give up the ship, however, kept his ax swinging and finally saw the dawn of better times, paid for his land in 1843, opened in a rented log house, the well-known " farmer's inn;" it was a few rods southwest of the present family home, which was built on the site of the second " farmer's inn," built in 1845, and burned after twelve years of prosperity. An incident is related by Mrs. P. of a certain Whitewater man who was more than suspected of stealing the oats from his fellow teamsters : A certain shoemaker returning from Milwaukee, placed a bag of shoepegs where the Whitewater man could help himself, and all went well until, at breakfast the next morning, some one rushed in to tell Mr. E. that his horses were sick, didn't eat their oats, etc. ; the crowd proceeded to the barn, where about six quarts of shoepegs before each horse, revealed the true inwardness of affairs, and caused endless fun among the patrons of the old " tavern." Eighty acres of the present farm is part of the old claim of 1836, and the remaining 23 were bought by Mr. Parsons in 1840, he living to clear and cultivate a good farm and build up a most pleasant home. Mr. Parsons died Dec. 20, 1875, leaving two sons-William S., born Aug. 11, 1851, and Charles O., born June 14, 1854; W. S. Parsons attended Jennings Seminary and the Ameri- can Commercial College, at Aurora, Ill., and with his pioneer mother now occupies the homestead ; he married Nov. 25, 1872, Miss Emma M., daughter of Hazen H. and Aurelia Hunkins, and has three children-W. Hazen, born in Waukesha, May C. and Nellie A., born on the homestead where their father was. Mr. P. is a stanch Republican, as was his honored father, and is now Town Clerk, also Deputy Sheriff of Waukesha Co. Charles O. Parsons learned the carpenter and joiner's trade in New Berlin, which was his home until 1877, when he located in Albert Lea, Minn., where he now owns a half-interest in a machine shop with Aleck McNeil ; his mother has resided in New Berlin longer than any resident of it, unless it be A. L. McWhorter.
JAMES J. PUNCH, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Waukesha ; born July 3, 1817, in Cork, Ire- land ; attended school in his native city, and came to America in 1837 ; settled at Highgate, Vt .; after- ward entered the service of Judge Aldis, of St. Albans ; removed to Boston and worked two years for O. Dalrymple, then nine years on the farm of Chas. Stetson, near Lynn, Mass. ; Daniel Webster was a fre- quent visitor on this farm, and was often seen by Mr. Punch. With his wife he came to New Berlin in 1851, settling on 90 acres of his farm, for which he paid $18 per acre ; did good work clearing, breaking and sowing ; his second crop of fall wheat burned with his new barn, one of the largest in that section ; that fall he bought 65 acres more, and of the 155 acres once covered with huge trees nearly all are cleared, not oven the stumps three and even four feet across being left to tell the story ; Mr. P. has built a large farm- house and good barns, etc. ; his wife, formerly Hannah Fitzgerald, was born in the County of Cork, and came to America when about 18 ; they have ten children-Phillip, John, Mary A., Edward, Eilen, James, Jane, Hannah, Thomas Jefferson and George Mcclellan ; the eldest served through the war with Grant in the 17th W. V. I., is now a prosperous blacksmith in Chicago, is also a Captain in the Ind. S. M. ; John, now in poor health, was for years a yard-master in Milwaukee ; Mary is Mrs. Capt. O'Connor, of Milwau- kee, her husband being a commander of the Light Guard, also an engineer, and is now constructing water works at St. Joseph, Mo .; Edward is an engineer at Effingham, Ill .; Ellen is a most efficient teacher ; James is the unfortunate one who lost a leg by the bite of a savage dog ; he was educated in Carroll Col- lege, and is with the three youngest on the homestead ; Jane is one of the trusted employes of Field &
1
Ehh Beaumont
MERTON.
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TOWN OF NEW BERLIN.
Leiter, merchant princes of Chicago. Mr. P. is a Democrat, and, as Chairman for the town, did much to secure for New Berlin the splendid war record of which she is so justly proud ; one trip at his own ex- pense rectified a blunder by which the officials in Milwaukee had required a quota of thirty-three men from New Berlin when twenty-eight was all she owed. Mr. P. has also been Supervisor and Town Clerk, and has held his present office of Justice for twenty-two consecutive years. He is a Roman Catholic.
ANDREW SNYDER, Sr., farmer, Sec. 22; P. O. New Berlin; born Jan. 1, 1813, in Alsace, France; his parents, Andrew and Eve Snyder, came to America about 1825, located in Essex Co., N. Y., where Andrew grew up to man's estate. In 1843 he came to New Berlin, bought his present farm, and a yoke of cattle with it, for $800; left the oxen in Milwaukee, returned to New York for his family, made the trip up the lakes, and drove his ox team to the farm, which he reached July 12, 1844; there were two log houses, 8 acres cleared, and the rest a wilderness; Mr. Snyder hay cleared over a hundred acres, has 60 of timber; about 1860 built a large and substantial brick house; his sons have stood by him well in this good work, and two of them own farms given them by him. He married, 1842, in Buffalo, N. Y., Miss Catherine Casper, by whom he has six children-Andrew and George, born in New York State; Anthony, Joseph, Catherine and Mary, all born in New Berlin. Mr. S. was the leader in building St. Valerius' church, owning the best team and drawing nearly every load of lumber used in it. The persecutions of the Republican party in France, upon his forefathers, cause him to be a Democrat here.
ANDREW SNYDER, Jr., farmer, Sec. 29; was born in Essex Co., N. Y., Dec. 12, 1841; son of Andrew and Catherine Snyder, who settled in New Berlin in 1845, with two children, Andrew and George; they located on a heavily timbered farm on Sec. 22; two log houses and a log barn were all the buildings; the 173 acres were cleared and a handsome brick house built; the son did his full share at this; his farm was bought by his father in 1858, and it was almost in a state of nature at Andrew's settlement upon it in 1867; this sturdy young New Yorker has cleared 50 acres himself, and improved the remaining 25 acres by removing the stumps and stones; his large, well-painted and finished barn, and a tasteful and roomy brick farm-honse, are among the rewards of his labor. His wife was Miss Susan, daugh er of Mathew Stephens, of New Berlin; they have four children-Andrew, Jr., Katie, Susanna, and Mary, all natives of New Berlin. Mr. S. is an Independent Democrat; was Assessor one year, and Town Clerk twelve years; is also Secretary of the New Berlin Town Insurance Company, and, with his wife, belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.
NICHOLAS STEPHENS, farmer, Secs. 23 and 26; P. O. New Berlin; born May 14, 1844, in the town of New Berlin; his parents, Mathias and Barbara Stephens, Prussians, emigrated in 1843, coming direct to New Berlin, and settling on the present farm of Aug. Wilde; the family lived under a tree while building a log cabin, with Indians, deer, wolves, etc., for neighbors. Mr. S. was born here, and five or six years later, his people settled on his present farm of 109 acres; of the first 80, Mr. Stephens cleared all but 30, building a good frame house He died April 15, 1876, and his wife followed, Dec. 15, 1878. Nicholas Stephens married, in 1870, Miss Mary Mann, a native of Prussia, whose family emigrated 30 years ago; they have five children-Barbara, born March 14, 1871; Elizabeth, born Nov. 29, 1872; Katie, born March 16, 1875; Joseph, born Ang. 15, 1877, and Andrew, born Oct. 21,1879 Mr. S. has added to his farm, and in 1879 built one of the largest and best barns in his town, 40x70x18 feet, with 8-foot basement, and well finished, ventilated, etc. He is a Democrat, and was Supervisor in 1878-79; is a Roman Catholic, and a live, stirring young farmer of his native town and county, growing both grain and stock.
PETER M. SWARTZ, farmer and stock-breeder, Sec 19; P. O. Waukesha; born Feb. 12, 1842, in Columbia Co., N. Y .; his parents, William and Anna Swartz, emigrated from Germany, married in New York, and came West in the spring of 1844, settling on 80 acres of the Swartz home- stead; all their means were expended in a log house and a cow, the use of Jacob Korn's team being earned by the labor of Mr. S .; his first team was a pair of steers, carned two years later; his first vehicle was furnished with wheels sawed from oak logs, and he did good work, clearing slowly and well. He died March 29, 1874, and the labor of himself and his only son was rewarded, as may be seen, by the splendid farm of 160 acres, with its small village of buildings; the large two-story farm-honse and two large barns, one 36x60 and one 32x105 feet, with other substantial buildings, were erected by these men, who chopped out the farm. Peter Swartz attended the early schools, walking two miles to the log house in the McWhor- ter district, also attending in the Smith district, Waukesha Township, and later his own district, No. 8. He married, Nov. 22, 1866, Catherine M. Phillips, who was born in New Berlin, July 18, 1850, her parents settling here in 1847 or 1848; Mr. and Mrs. S have four living children-William, born Oct.
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17, 1867; David, born June 15, 1870; Lydia, born Jan. 14, 1872, and Catharine, born Sept. 6, 1874. Mr. Swartz is a Republican. As a breeder of stock, he has 200 fine-wool sheep, having bred for 15 years past, from flocks of R. Richards, Racine, George Lawrence, and J. H. Paul; he also has grade Ayrshire and Alderney cattle, with other stock.
T. S. WINTON, merchant and Postmaster, Prospect Hill; born Oct. 17, 1831, in Butternuts, Otsego Co., N. Y., son of J. B. and Sarah (Tillson ) Winton, both natives of Otsego County, N. Y .; in May, 1840, the parents and four children settled in Waukesha Township, the father building the third log house in that part of the town, Mr. Cluff building the first and M. R. Tillson the second; W. E. Sanford lived with Mr. T. in a bark-roofed shanty, floored and " doored " with puncheons ; the Wintons also spent several months here, settling then on the farm where J. B. Winton lived, until 1875, at which time he located near Waukesha ; his wife died September, 1875, he now resides with a daughter in Iowa. T. S. Winton attained the rudiments of his education, on a slab-seated bench, in the old log schoolhouse, on his father's farm ; engaged in farming in Ashippun, Dodge Co., and in 1866, bought the stock and store of Daniel Church, and was appointed Postmaster the same year; Mr. Winton does a good business and owns two farms. He married, in 1855, Miss Emily A. Tillson, of his native town ; they have three children-Louis S., Theodora E. and John S. ; Arthur M. died when 15 years of age ; all the children were born in Ashippun, except the youngest. T. S. Winton is a man who recalls with unusual interest, the scenes and incidents of frontier life ; he is a Republican, and has been Town Clerk of New Berlin, and Justice of the Peace in Ashippun.
TOWN OF GENESEE.
EDWIN ALLEN, farmer, Sec. 30; P. O. North Prairie; born in Trimpton Broad windsor, Dorsetshire, England, Feb. 18, 1818; in March, 1845, in company with his wife, he left South Perrot, England, for America; landing at New York, they came, via the Erie Canal and the lakes, to Wisconsin ; reaching Genesee on Saturday night, he bought 80 acres of his present farm the next Monday ; about 13 acres were broken ; the young couple spent their first year in a " claim shanty," 10x12, which still stands as a landmark; it had a shanty roof, and would hardly accommodate their scant furniture; Mr. Allen and the Pauls had three oxen each, and, by combining them, made out a breaking-team ; Mr. Allen did real work here, added 64 acres the second year, built a good frame house and barn, etc .; has steadily added to his land, now owning 194 acres, with two good barns and other substantial improvements .. His wife was born in Beaminster, Yorkshire, Oct. 8, 1815 ; married Nov. 3, 1842 ; they have four children-Susan J., William B., Mary II. and James A. ; the family are Episcopalians in belief. Mr. Allen is in politics a Democrat, and has been many years Assessor and Supervisor ; he has 105 merino sheep, cattle, hogs, etc., and has been an extensive dealer and breeder in fine horses; his eldest son is married and settled as a Dakota farmer.
HENRY BOWMAN, merchant and Postmaster, Genesee; born in Staffordshire, England, Jan. 13, 1829; spent his early life as a farmer in his native land ; left Liverpool, England, on the good ship Waterloo, June the 28th, 1850, for the United States ; the famous Italian patriots, Mazzini and Garibaldi, were his fellow-voyagers; the Waterloo reaching New York City after a thirty days' run, Mr. Bowman came direct to Genesee, via Milwaukee ; began life here as a laborer, threshing grain on a barn floor during the first winter, at $7 per month ; the next summer he worked at his trade of carpenter, at $9 per month ; chopped cord wood the second winter, at 30 cents per cord, and thus worked his way up ; for fourteen years this man worked at any and every thing which would earn an honest penny, splitting rails like a second Lincoln, sheep-shearing, farm work, etc .; the means thus earned enabled him, in 1864, to open business in Genesee, buying the stock of P. Barker, and, in 1865, the store of James Hamilton ; did business here until 1873, when he bought the old Treadway Hotel, and with it the adjoining storeroom, built by W. D. Medbury ; Mr. Bowman began with a capital of $500, and the same dauntless spirit which enabled him to earn it, has constantly increased his business, he carrying the only stock in the village, embracing dry goods, groceries, drugs and medicines, boots and shoes, hardware, glassware, crockery, notions, etc. ; is also agent for the Continental Insurance Company, and is doing a good and satisfactory business. His wife was Miss Harriet J. Paul, of Somersetshire, England, she coming to America with her parents, John and Mary Paul, in 1841, they remaining in New York State until 1843, when they located in Genesee, Mr. Bowman and Miss Paul uniting their destinies in the fall of 1854; they have two
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TOWN OF GENESEE.
children-Mary (Mrs. Eugene Proctor) and Henry ; have also lost a son. Mr. B. is a supporter of the local churches, and a steadfast Republican ; has been Chairman of Genesee, and Postmaster here sixteen years ; has also held minor offices, and is regarded as one of Genesee's stanchest temperance men.
JOHN BRATLAY, farmer, Secs. 29 and 28; P. O. North Prairie; born in Dunnington-on- Bain, Lincolnshire, England, April 16, 1821 ; early life spent as a farm laborer; came to America in 1851, and at once to Mukwonago, where he worked in Galbraith's flax mill one year ; he then engaged in farming for fourteen years in Concord, Jefferson Co., Wis. Married, in 1851, in Jericho, Miss Sarah Upton Howard, who died in Concord, 1856, leaving two children-John and Sarah E .; John married Miss Ellen Brown, of North Prairie, and is now in charge of the homestead ; the daughter is now Mrs. Henry Paul, of Genesee ; Mr. Bratlay married again, Mrs. Mary Paul, widow of John Paul, who, at his death, left seven children-Mary (Mrs. McKinzie) ; John, now in Dunn Co., Wis .; Sarah J. (Mrs. McWalters) ; George, also in Dunn Co. ; Anne, now Mrs. Studley; Mathew P. and Martha, who are also dead. John Bratlay reached Wisconsin almost penniless; began as a laborer and a renter, went into debt. $1,600 on his first farm, was unable to hold it, but, by selling, saved himself; has owned several farms in Concord ; the year 1865 was a notable one with him, as he owned and successfully worked his Concord farm and his present homestead ; his only help was his 12-year-old son, they working by day, and driving from one farm to the other by night, the profits of the farms and a splendid hop-yard that summer being $4,000 ; has since sold the Concord farm, and now has a homestead of 178 acres, mostly cultivated, and with excellent buildings; all that need be said is, that he has always paid 100 cents on the dollar. The family are Methodists, he being Trustee and Steward. Mr. Bratlay is, politically, independent.
JOSEPH DODGE, farmer, Sec. 26; P. O. Genesee ; born in the town of Andover, Wind- sor Co , Vt., Feb. 19, 1806 ; fifteen years of his life were spent as a shoemaker, in Mt. Holly, Vt., where he married Miss Lucy White, who died, leaving him three children-Emily, Joseph E. and Elbridge. In 1833, he married again, Miss Rowena Bryant ; the family came to Genesee and settled on the present homestead, in the fall of 1839, he buying 240 acres of the United States, a week after his arrival; for several weeks, his family shared the one-story log cabin of Edward Cavanagh, three families living in the one small room ; Mr. Dodge built a 12x16-foot shanty, with rails laid for a chamber floor; the bedding being laid on several sides of sole leather, which he afterward worked up ; an occasional roll out of bed by one of the urchins above would reveal an arm or leg between the rails ; his table was a board fastened against the side of the room, and bedstead made of poles, and chairs ditto; and yet, under this shake roof, he used to find bed and board for many a traveler ; his family moved in here one December day and spent the winter there, with Stephen Sayles and sons, John Rankin, James Williams, Edward Manning and the father of Mr. Dodge for the only neighbors; of these, seversl lived on puncheon floors, with bedsteads made by driving a post at the right distance from the inside corners of their cabins, then inserting poles from it either way to the log walls ; Mr. Cavanagh's roof was so leaky as to compel the inmates to " sleep under tin pans," as Mr. Dodge puts it; ox teams were driven half way to Waukesha (Prairieville) to church, and the milling for these rugged settlers done at " Jerusalem " (Eagleville), and the old Dakin mill (demolished) ; the farm of 223 acres, well improved, with good buildings at this date, is the result of these experiences. In the spring of 1840, owing to the ill-health of his wife, Mr. Dodge returned and lived in New York State until 1842, since which time he has lived in Genesee. Joseph E. Dodge served in the Union army until the close of the war, much of the time sick in the hospitals; his brother Elbridge, in the same noble cause, died at Columbus, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge have lost four children, their only living son, Cushman, born, 1836, in Vermont, now owning the farm, or part of it ; he married Miss Avis Parsons, of Columbia Co., N. Y., by whom he has four children-Hattie L., Clara E., Eben A. and Perry J .; the family are leading members of the Genesee Congregational Church, of which Mr. Dodge has been, for ten years, treasurer, and of which the son is clerk and deacon ; politics Republican. Mr. Joseph Dodge united with the Baptists over fifty years ago, in his native State.
D. L. EDWARDS, merchant, Genesee Depot; born in Aberystwith, Cardiganshire, S. Wales, 1822; when 14 years of age, he was apprenticed for three years at the mercantile business ; was for five years a clerk in London, and, in 1847, came to America ; engaged in clerking in New York City until 1856, when he located in Milwaukee, as one of the head clerks in the large establishment of the Mack Bros .; in December, 1862, he bought out Mr. Steller, at Genesee Depot, for $500, added $1,500 worth of goods, and has since done a large and most satisfactory business here, increasing his stock to about $7,000; his line of dry goods, groceries, drugs, hats and caps, boots and shoes, clothing, hardware, tin- ware, glassware, crockery, notions, etc., is most complete, and he proposes to sell any and everything needed by a farming community ; married Miss Margaret James, who, at her death, left him an only daughter,
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