USA > Wisconsin > The United States biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of eminent and self-made men, Wisconsin volume > Part 14
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In politics, Mr. Slight has always been identified with the republican party. He has never sought political honors, and has held no office except that of justice of the peace.
In his religious views, he holds to the faith of the Church of England.
He was married on the Ist of March, 1852, to Mary Ann Russell, by whom he has three sons and one daughter. Possessed of noble personal qualities, generous, genial and social, he is a devoted husband, a fond father, and a true and agreeable friend and companion.
EARL P. FINCH,
OSHKOSH.
A MONG the prominent men of Oshkosh, Wis- consin, none deserves a more honorable men- tion than he whose name heads this sketch. A native of Jay, Essex county, New York, he was born on the 27th of October, 1828, and is the son of Joshua C. and Eliza A. Finch. His father, a farmer and contractor, was an influential man in his com- munity, and highly esteemed by all. Earl's boy- hood disclosed few characteristics differing from those of ordinary farmer boys; he had a fondness for study, and early developed a love for professional life. He received his preparatory education in the common schools of his native place, and at the age of fourteen years was engaged in the nail factory, and after one year spent there worked a short time in the rolling-mills. The next three years he was employed in the office of Messrs. J. and J. Rogers, iron manufacturers, and at the expiration of that time removed to the West, and settled at Neemah, Wis- consin, entering a claim for a tract of land. Wish- ing, however, for a more thorough education, he
soon sold his claim, and going to Appleton spent a time in school, and afterward entered Beloit College. After closing his studies here he returned to the East and spent two years in college at Middlebury, Vermont, and then went to Union College, New York, and graduated. Returning to the West in 1856, he settled at Menasha, Wisconsin, where, during the first year after his arrival, he was em- ployed in the United States land office. During this year he began the study of law, and removing to Oshkosh, in 1858, spent two years in the office of Judge Wheeler. After his admission to the bar, in 1860, he opened an office in Oshkosh, and began that practice in which he has become well-known as a skillful, successful and honorable practitioner, having been admitted to all the courts. At the present time, 1876, he is associated with Mr. Barber, under the firm name of Finch and Barber, and has a satisfactory and lucrative practice.
Mr. Finch has taken no active part in matters aside from his profession, and finds here ample
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scope for his talents and highest ambitions. His political sentiments are democratic, and though frequently solicited to accept public office, he has uniformly declined, except where they were in the line of his profession, preferring the peace and quiet of his practice to political honors and emoluments. He was elected city attorney in 1868, and is at present local attorney for the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Company; also for the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company. Though not a member
of any church organization, he is a regular attendant upon the Episcopal service. Personally and socially he has most excellent qualities, and by his genial disposition and courteous manners he has endeared himself to a large circle of warm and true friends, while his native endowments and professional skill have secured to him that reward which must invari- ably follow continued and honorable effort. He was married, January 22, 1862, to Miss Anna E. Bryan ; they have four sons and two daughters.
GENERAL T. S. ALLEN, OSHKOSH.
T. S. ALLEN, a native of Alleghany county, . New York, was born on the 26th of July, 1825, and is the son of Rev. A. S. Allen and Lydia née Kingsbury. His life has been a most eventful one, but we can give only an outline of its most prominent phases. After receiving his primary edu- cation, he learned the printer's trade, and later, in 1843, entered college, at the same time working at his trade to defray his expenses. At the close of his studies, he was employed in teaching for a short time, and in 1846 removed to Chicago, Illinois. During the first year after his arrival he was engaged as foreman on a daily paper, and at the expiration of that time, by reason of impaired health, relin- quished his trade, and removing to Wisconsin, en- gaged in mining and surveying, at Dodgeville, in which occupations, and in teaching, he spent the following two years. In 1850 he was elected clerk of the board of supervisors for a term of two years, and at the expiration of his term of office, engaged in railroading and real-estate operations, continuing in the same till 1857, when he was elected to the State legislature from the Mineral Point district. In 1860 he was employed as assistant chief-clerk in the State land office, at Madison, and on the 13th of April, 1861, enlisted as a private in the Governor's Guards, but was soon after chosen captain of the Miners' Guards of Mineral Point, and was duly com- missoned as such by Governor Randall. The com- pany was assigned to the 2d Regiment, and became known as Company I. This regiment participated in the battle of Bull Run, July 2, 1861, his com- pany losing eighteen men in the fight. After coming out in good order, its several captains gathered their men at Centerville, and secured coffee and provi-
sions for their exhausted command. Being without superior officers, the regiment placed itself under command of Captain McKee, as senior captain, and Captain T. S. Allen, who brought up the rear, and returned to their old camp at Arlington Heights. Captain Allen was made major of his regiment on the 22d of August following, and on the 8th of September, 1862, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He served in this capacity till the 14th of January, 1863, at which time he was commissioned colonel of the 5th Wisconsin, as suc- cessor to Colonel Amasa Cobb.
As major of the 2d Regiment, he was twice wounded in the battle of Gainesville, but did not leave the field, and was again wounded at Antietam, while commanding the regiment in the absence of Colonel Fairchild. In the famous charge of the 3d of May, 1863, on Marys Heights, where General Burnside had lost five thousand men in a former en- gagement, giving it the name of "Slaughter Pen," Colonel Allen's regiment of the eighth division, sixth corps, took the lead. The 6th Maine and the 31st New York were also placed under his orders. When the time arrived for moving on the works he ad- dressed his men: " Boys, you see those heights ? You must take them ! You think you cannot ; but you can -you will do it ! When the order 'for- ward!' is given, you will start on double-quick ; you will not fire a gun ; you will not stop till you get orders to halt, and you will never get that order !" And they did not get it until they stood captors within the enemy's works, although the 5th Wiscon- sin suffered a loss of one hundred and thirty-six men, killed and wounded, and the other regiments in the same proportion. Previous to the charge at
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Rappahannock Station, on November 7, 1863, Gen- eral David Russell, commanding the brigade, re- marked that he had two regiments that could take those works. Having received permission, he ordered out the 6th Maine and 5th Wisconsin. As they were passing over the parapet of the redoubt, Colonel Allen had his hand so badly shattered by a ball that he was rendered unfit for duty, and was complimented for his gallant service in the action in a general order by Major-General H. G. Wright, division commander of the sixth corps. While dis- abled from wounds he was detailed on General Casey's examining board, on which he served during the summer of 1864.
In August he returned to Wisconsin, the time of his regiment having expired, and raised seven new companies to fill up the ranks, two hundred and fifty men organized into three companies having reënlisted for the war. He returned with these men in October, and served until December, in the Shenandoah Valley under General Phil. Sheridan. In December the command was moved to the front of Petersburg. In the attack on the lines on the 2d of April, 1865, he was given the advance in the charge, which proved successful at all points, and again distinguished himself, leading his regiment two miles through the enemy's advance line, to the South Railroad, its loss being one-tenth of the whole corps, comprising fifty regiments.
He was present at the surrender of General Lee, which closed the war. Shortly after the close of the war he was elected secretary of state.
He was a delegate at large to the republican national convention in 1868. In 1870 he removed to Oshkosh, his present home, and began the publi- cation of the "Northwestern," a daily and weekly paper, with which he is still connected, and is widely known as an able editor. He suffered a severe loss in the great fire of 1875, by the burning of his es- tablishment.
In his religious sentiments, Colonel Allen is liberal, and though a regular attendant of the Con- gregational church, is not connected with any re- ligious body.
In politics, he is a republican, having helped to organize that party in Wisconsin.
He was married on the 11th of August, 1851, to Miss Sarah Bracken, daughter of General Charles Bracken, and by her had one daughter. Mrs. Allen died in 1854, and in April, 1866, he was married to Miss Natilie Weber, by whom he has two sons and three daughters.
Colonel Allen has traveled extensively throughout the United States, and gained a most valuable prac- tical knowledge of men and things. He began life without means, and by his own untiring energy and enterprise has risen step by step to his present high social position and public standing.
PHILO ROMYNE HOY, M.D.,
RACINE.
P HILO R. HOY, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, was born on the 3d of November, 1816, and is the son of Captain William Hoy and Sarah Drown Hoy. His father, one of the pioneers of Mansfield, was a prominent man in his community, and the first to erect a house in that place. Philo's boyhood differed little from that of ordinary boys. Natu- rally of a studious disposition he acquired a fond- ness for books, and in early life decided to enter the medical profession. After completing his education in the common schools and private schools of his native place, he pursued a course of study in the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and graduated in 1840, with the degree of M.D. During the first six years of his practice, he resided at New Haven, Ohio, and at the expiration of that time (1846) re-
moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where he has since fol- lowed his profession. As a medical practitioner, he has made for himself a worthy reputation, and has a flourishing and lucrative practice. Aside from his professional work, Dr. Hoy has devoted much time and study to the subject of natural history, and in all scientific questions has taken a deep interest. In 1853, in company with Professors Kirkland and Spencer F. Baird, he spent the season gathering in- formation respecting fish, and is at the present time (1876) one of the fish commissioners of his State. He is the president of the Academy of Sciences and Letters of Wisconsin ; a member of the Academy of Science of Philadelphia, also that of Buffalo, New York, Saint Louis, Cleveland, etc. Was an organic member of the Academy of Science of Chicago, and a
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fellow of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science. Besides these, he belongs to many other medical and scientific associations. Has a large correspondence with most of the scientific savans within the United States, as well as with several distinguished men of Europe.
He has "now one of the largest collections of animals in the Northwest, all of them natives of Wisconsin, and gathered mostly in the immediate vicinity of his own city. The following is a partial list of his specimens: Three hundred and eighteen different species of birds; of bird's eggs, one hun- dred and fifty species; of mammals, thirty-five ; reptiles, fifty ; beetles, thirteen hundred ; moths, two thousand; spahingedes, thirty-eight ; other insects, one thousand; and besides, a large collection of shells and fossils from the Niagara limestone in the vicinity of Racine.
In his political views, Dr. Hoy was formerly a whig, and is now identified with the republican
party. During the civil war he took a deep interest in the northern cause.
In religion he is not connected with any church organization, but makes the rule of his actions that expressed by our Saviour in the words : "Whatso- ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them." Unsectarian, his sympathies are broad enough to gather in their embrace all men.
He was married at Ripley, Ohio, on the 26th of October, 1842, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Austin, by whom he has two sons and one daughter. His oldest son, Albert H. Hoy, M.D., a young man of promise, is a practicing physician at Racine. He was appointed a medical cadet in the regular army, and promoted to assistant surgeon. Was in the service for over three years, serving in the hospitals in Keokuk, Iowa, Covington, Kentucky, and at Louisville in several general hospitals. Went to Europe after the close of the war, and studied in Heidelberg, Vienna, Berlin and Paris.
GEORGE BREMER,
MILWAUKEE.
T HE subject of this sketch was born on the 15th of April, 1813, at Gandersheim, Dukedom Brunswick, Germany, and is the son of Joseph Bremer and Caroline nee Rosenthal. His tastes for mercantile life developed at an early age, and having received a common school education he entered a dry-goods establishment at the age of fifteen years. Here he served an apprenticeship of four years, and then during the term of fifteen years clerked in different mercantile houses, being man- ager of a large dry-goods emporium in Hanover for the last six years. In 1847 he emigrated to- the United States, arriving at Milwaukee on the 4th of July. For a short time he engaged in farming, but soon after opened a small country store, which he kept until 1849. Upon his return to Milwaukee, in 1850, he went into partnership with Jakob Mora- wetz under the firm name of G. Bremer and Co., and opened a store at No. 216 East Water street. Their business so increased and their trade became so extensive that they found it necessary to seek more spacious quarters. In 1855 they erected a large four-story brick store on east Water street, near Huron, and relinquishing their retail depart- ment admitted Mr. M. L. Morawetz as a partner.
Their business here assumed such dimensions that they were again obliged to look for better accommo- dations, and in 1869 they moved into one of the stores of their brick block, corner of Broadway and Huron' street, which is one of the finest and most commodious in the city, and here they are still conducting their very extensive business. The house of G. Bremer and Co. is the oldest grocery house in Milwaukee, and has always met its obliga- tions promptly, even during the hardest business calamities. Generous and public - spirited, Mr. Bremer has always contributed liberally to char- itable and benevolent purposes, as well as to all enterprises connected with the welfare of the city. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of Commerce in 1870, and has been a director of said bank to this day. His friends and acquaintances are not in business circles alone, but among all classes in the city, and greatly in the whole country.
In April, 1863, Mr. Bremer left to visit his native country, where he made a very extensive tour, being absent from home just one year.
He was educated in the Hebrew faith, but has been entirely non-sectarian ever since he came to this country. Liberal in all his views, his entire
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career has been marked by energy, enterprise and honorable dealing.
He has never taken an active part in politics, and although frequently solicited, has always de- clined to accept any office.
He was one of the organizers of the first German
lodge of F. and A. Masous in Milwaukee, in 1850, and has been thrice elected to its highest office.
Mr. Bremer was married on the 23d of November, 1849, to Miss Amalia Morawetz, and has six chil- dren : Josephine (Mrs. Geilfuss), Freddie, Bertha (Mrs. Gugler), Hugo, Agathe, Lillie.
WILLIAM H. NORRIS, JUNIOR,
GREEN BAY.
T HE life history of William H. Norris, junior, while it has many experiences in common with those of others, yet has an identity peculiarly its own, and is marked by a will-power and an inde- pendent force of character that entitle it to most honorable mention in the list of prominent, self- made men. A native of Hallowell, Maine, he was born on the 24th of July, 1832, and is the son of Rev. William H. Norris and Sarah M. née Mahan. His father was a Methodist minister.
William received his education at Yale College, and after completing his studies, spent one year in teaching. His tastes early led him to choose the legal profession, and in 1855 he began the study of law at the Dana Law School of Cambridge, Massachusetts. At the expiration of one year he removed to the West and settled in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and there continued his studies in the . office of J. H. Howe, and was admitted to the bar in 1857.
After his admission he spent one year with Mr. Howe as clerk, and in 1859 entered into partnership with him, continuing the business under the firm name of J. H. Howe and Norris till 1862, when Mr. Howe withdrew. He then conducted the business in his own nanre till 1870, and in the following year associated with himself Mr. Thomas B. Chynoweath, his present partner. Their practice has been gen-
eral, but they have given special attention to mer- cantile and railroad law.
Since 1864 he has been local attorney for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, and since 1870, general attorney for the Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad. As an attorney, he stands at the head of the bar in his city, and has a larger practice than any other lawyer, having been admitted to practice in all the courts of the United States, except the United States supreme court.
His religious views are Congregational.
In politics, he is identified with the republican party. He was elected superintendent of public schools in 1859.
Mr. Norris was married on the 31st of January, 1859, to Miss Hannah B. Harriman, by whom he has two daughters and one son.
He began life without money, and by persevering and continued effort has made for himself a wide reputation as an able lawyer, and accumulated a moderate competence. He has lived in South America and considerably in the United States, and by careful observation accumulated a large fund of valuable information.
Personally and socially he has a high standing, and by his generous manner, pleasing address, and manly bearing, has endeared himself to a large circle of warm friends.
JOHN D. INBUSCH, MILWAUKEE.
N the far-away kingdom of Hanover, Germany, I on the 25th of December, 1820, was born the subject of this sketch, son of Herman and Maria Inbusch. Under the excellent system of public in- struction in that country, which allows no child to
go without schooling, he received a thorough com- mon-school education at Badbergen. At an early age young Inbusch, following the example of his elder brothers, left his quiet German home on the sleepy river Haase, and sailing across the Atlantic
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landed in New York city. Here he served two years as clerk in a grocery store owned by his brothers, afterward entering the firm as a junior partner, where he remained for a period of twelve years. His only capital at beginning was ability, energy and the quiet persistence of his race, in be- coming master of the minutest details of his business. In the spring of 1849 he removed to Milwaukee, and in connection with two brothers, John H. and John Gerhard Inbusch, he instituted a wholesale liquor establishment, under the name and title of Inbusch Brothers. In 1860, after a period of eleven years of slow but sure success, they added a stock of groceries to their trade. Nine years later, closing out entirely their liquor interest, they confined them- selves exclusively to the wholesale grocery business. For many years this trade has been steadily on the increase. In 1869 their sales did not exceed in
amount a half million per annum. In 1874 it had reached the handsome sum of over a million. Their store has also doubled in size and capacity to meet the demands of their business, and the wholesale grocery house of Inbusch Brothers is well and favor- ably known throughout the State and the entire Northwest. Mr. J. D. Inbusch is now one of the directors of the Milwaukee National Bank. He was married November 8, 1857, to Miss Emily Heuffner, and the fruits of this marriage have been two sons and two daughters. Notwithstanding his business and social relations, Mr. Inbusch has found time for extensive traveling, and in 1853 and 1872 he visited his old Badbergian home on the Haase, Germany, as well as Holland, Italy, France and England.
In politics he has always been a democrat; and from his early youth his religious convictions have been those of the Lutheran creed.
FREDERIC C. WINKLER,
MILWAUKEE.
F REDERIC C. WINKLER was born in Bre- men, Germany, the 15th of March, 1838. His parents emigrated to the United States when he was six years of age, and located in Milwaukee, where his father, Carl Winkler, established a pharmacy and starch factory.
Educated in the public and private schools of that day in Milwaukee, and under private tuition of Prof. Engelmann (q.v.), Mr. Winkler taught a common school, before reaching his eighteenth year, and imme- diately afterward commenced the study of law in the office of Hon. H. L. Palmer, where (teaching school in the winter months) he remained a student until the fall of 1858, when he entered the office of Messrs. Abbott, Gregory and Pinney, at Madison, as clerk. While here he was, on the 19th of April, 1859, ad- mitted to the bar in the circuit court of Dane county after a thorough examination in open court, under a rule then recently established by Judge Dixon. Shortly after this he returned to Milwaukee, and entered on the practice of his profession. He met at once with considerable success. His first part- nership was with Mr. G. Von Deutsch, who, on account of ill health and a trip to Europe, left a large share of the work of the office to him, so that he was brought into court practice more rapidly « than is generally the case.
From 1856 Mr. Winkler's sympathies had been strongly enlisted for the anti-slavery principles of the republican party, and in 1860 he took an active part in the canvass of Milwaukee county in favor of Lincoln and Hamlin. Immediately after the break- ing out of the war his partner entered the cavalry service, leaving the business to him. In 1862, when the appeal for more men became urgent, Mr. Wink ler gave up his business and recruited a company of infantry-Company B, of the 26th Regiment, Wis- consin Volunteers, of which he was appointed cap- tain. The regiment left the State early in October and was assigned to the eleventh corps of the army of the Potomac, then commanded by General Sigel. During the succeeding winter Captain Winkler was constantly employed as judge advocate in courts martial at corps headquarters. At the opening of the spring campaign he was assigned to the staff of General Schurz, commanding a division of the corps. He participated in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, in the former of which he had a horse shot under him. The first day of Gettysburg the regiment lost very heavily, only four officers escap- ing unhurt, the lieutenant-colonel and major being among the wounded. Captain Winkler resigned bis staff service and temporarily took charge of the reg- iment during the battle. Afterward he remained
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with the regiment as second in command, still, how- ever, subject to frequent detail for court-martial service. After the battle of Chickamauga the regi- ment was transferred to the West, as part of General Hooker's forces that were sent to Rosecranz's relief. Shortly afterward the colonel resigned, and Captain Winkler thenceforth commanded the regiment, being successively promoted through the several grades to the colonelcy.
Under his command the regiment participated in the battle of Mission Ridge, in 1863; the Atlanta campaign, with its battles and countless skirmishes, in 1864; the march to the sea, and thence north through the Carolinas. It won a high reputation. Of its conduct in the battle of Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864, the following mention is made in the official report of Colonel Wood, the brigade com- mander :
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