USA > Wisconsin > The United States biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of eminent and self-made men, Wisconsin volume > Part 84
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at Little Rock, Arkansas. Mary Annan, the only daughter, is the widow of the late Mr. A. McClurg, for many years a banker in Racine. He died in March, 1877. Some two and a half years after the death of his wife Captain Knapp married the sister of his deceased wife, Hannah, who survived her marriage but one year, leaving no issue. On the 25th of October, 1837, he married Almira Meach, at Clinton, New York, a very highly cultivated lady, esteemed and respected by all who knew her. She was in her day the leader of society, and enter- tained with great hospitality. She died in Decem- ber, 1876, lamented by all who knew her.
As a man, Captain Knapp has always been very generous, noble-hearted, patriotic, public-spirited, | A. Knapp, widow of the eldest son of the captain.
and first in every enterprise for the public good, or the benefit of the city of which he was the parent. He was generous to the needy and unfortunate, and always willing to lend a helping hand to those struggling to gain a position; in this way he has sacrificed thousands of dollars. He was eminently social and hospitable, and, for many years after the settlement of the town, entertained all who visited Racine.
The only sister of Captain Knapp, Mrs. Sarah Milligan, some four years his senior, is still living at Shawano, Wisconsin. She was the first white woman that settled at Racine in 1835, and resided here until 1869. She is the mother of Mrs. Caroline
JOHN WILDER PERRY,
JUNEAU.
TI HE subject of this brief biography is a native of Vermont, and the son of William Perry, a physician, and Lury née Wilder, of Fayetteville, the county seat of Windham county. There the son was born April 13, 1822. This branch of the Perry family is distantly related to Commodore Perry. Dr. Perry was a farmer as well as practicing phy- sician, though he did very little himself in the line of land-tilling. He believed, however, in teaching children to be industrious, and John Wilder early learned to work. He remained on the farm until eighteen years of age, after becoming large enough to drop corn and spread hay, and received about three months of schooling annually. At the age just mentioned he went to Boston and spent three years in a book store, where he had a good oppor- tunity to improve his mind by reading. Returning to his native town he operated a sash factory from 1844 to 1849, shortly afterward changing his occu- pation to that of a hotel-keeper in the same town, and thus busying himself until 1855, when he settled in Oak Grove township, Dodge county, Wisconsin. This township includes the village of Juneau. His place of settlement was but a few rods from where the county poor-house now stands. He selected a rich piece of land, the fertility of which strikingly contrasted with the soil on which he had expended the energies of his youth.
After spending the first ten or twelve years of his residence in Wisconsin in farming, he opened a lum-
ber yard at Minnesota Junction in the same town- ship, continuing in that business seven years. Since January 1, 1876, he has been superintendent of the Dodge County Poor House.
As a man Mr. Perry enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens, which is well attested by the fact that he has been in office nearly three- fourths of the time since he settled in Wisconsin. He was chairman of the town board of supervisors about five years, town treasurer about two years, and justice of the peace about ten years. He has always acted with the democratic party, but is not a strong partisan, nor a very active politician. Dur- ing the progress of the civil war the federal govern- ment had no stronger supporter of its war measures than Mr. Perry.
His religious sentiments he denominates "liberal." He and his family are regular attendants at the Presbyterian Church.
The wife of Mr. Perry was Miss Eva Campbell, of New Ipswich, New Hampshire. They were mar- ried August 24, 1844, and have had three children, two of whom are now living -a son and a daughter. John H. Perry, thirty years of age, is married, and lives with his father. Lunette, eighteen years old, is also at home.
It was fortunate for the poor of Dodge county that Mr. Perry was placed at the head of the insti- tution. In its last report the State Board of Chari- ties stated that "Dodge county has one of the best
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managed and most liberally provided for poor- houses in the State; " and from a careful exami- nation of the premises, external and internal, it must be said that the board has done Mr. Perry simple justice. In the indoor arrangements and management, much credit is due Mrs. Perry, who is a model housekeeper and a very kind-hearted, sym-
pathetic woman - an angel of mercy to the unfortu- nate paupers and the still more unfortunate lunatics. Her kind words addressed to them are the sweetest music to their souls. The writer has visited a great many poor-houses and asylums in different States, and never saw an institution of the kind which pre- sented a more neat and wholesome appearance.
POLYDORE S. McARTHUR, M.D.,
LA CROSSE.
P OLYDORE S. MCARTHUR was born at Wales, Erie county, New York, October 30, 1822. His parents, Moses and Mary (Salisbury) McArthur, farmers by occupation, were plain, indus- trious people. The son aided his father until about eighteen years of age, and during the next three years attended the Aurora Academy, in an adjoin- ing town, teaching school meanwhile during two winters. He studied medicine with Dr. Paul, of Honeoye Flats, Ontario county; and after attending lectures two terms at Geneva Medical College he graduated in February, 1847. He practiced medi- cine at Holland, Erie county, three years, and at Caledonia, Livingston county, six years, and on Oc- tober 22, 1855, settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Here, as in western New York, Dr. McArthur has attended very closely to his profession, except dur- ing two seasons when he was absent from home. In 1861 he went to New York city, and attended a full four-months' course of lectures at the Long Island Hospital and two months at the Eye and Ear In- firmary, and repeated exactly the same course in 1866. Few physicians in western Wisconsin have had better opportunities for obtaining a knowledge
of medical science, or have been more entirely and successfully devoted to the application of that knowledge. Dr. McArthur is a thorough devotee of the science of medicine. He obtains all the new and most valuable works pertaining to his profes- sion ; and being partially deaf, and in a measure shut out from the socialities of life, he devotes all the leisure time at his command to reading and hard study. Pathology and the news of the day essen- tially monopolize the odd moments and half hours.
Dr. McArthur calls himself a " hard-shell " dem- ocrat. He always votes the democratic ticket, but has no political aspirations, and makes everything subordinate to his medical studies and medical pur- suits ; hence his eminent success.
He was married on the Ist of January, 1852, to Miss Mary Dean, of Caledonia, New York, and by her has two children.
Dr. McArthur's life furnishes a brilliant example of what may be accomplished by choosing a voca- tion suited to one's tastes, and following it faithfully to the exclusion of all others. He has clung to his profession, and by persistence and perseverance has reached an exalted position in La Crosse county.
HON. EDWARD ELWELL, BEAVER DAM.
T THE subject of this sketch, a native New Eng- lander, is the son of Dan Elwell, a house builder of Massachusetts. His mother, Nancy Pren- tice, was a native of Connecticut. His maternal grandfather was a surgeon in the revolutionary army, and was present at New London, Connecticut, when the fort there was taken by the British, September 6, 1781. Edward Elwell is a native of Pennsylvania,
and was born at Athens, Bradford county, August 7, 1816. He attended a common school until fourteen years of age, then gave four years to the cloth man- ufacturing business, and spent about the same length of time in attending school at the Athens Academy and in teaching in different districts. At the age of twenty-two he commenced reading law at Towanda, with his brother William Elwell, now a district judge
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in Pennsylvania, and was admitted to the bar at Towanda in May, 1840. He practiced there until 1843; in Wyoming county, in the same State, until 1847; and then removed to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and practiced there until the summer of 1855, when he made a permanent settlement in Beaver Dam, Dodge county. Here he has followed his profession with fair success for twenty-two years, doing consid- erable collecting in connection with it, and at times dealing a little in real estate. He is known as a reliable, straightforward man, true to the interests of every man with whom he has business relations. He has held various official positions and filled them with credit to himself and to the general satisfaction of his constituents. Soon after settling in Sheboy- gan county he was elected chairman of the board of supervisors, and aided in laying out many roads
when that section of country was very sparsely settled. He was district attorney of that county one term, and left Sheboygan at its expiration ; was post- master in Beaver Dam from the spring of 1857 to August, 1861. He has been district attorney of Dodge county two terms, and is now serving his fourth year as county judge.
In politics Judge Elwell is known as a conserva- tive democrat, and has been one of the leaders of the party in his county for several years. He has passed the chairs in Odd-fellowship; is a regular at- tendant at the Presbyterian church, and a man of high moral character.
Judge Elwell was married to Mary Ellen Fowler, of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1844. They have one son, Edward F. Elwell, who is in the book and stationery business in Milwaukee.
ROBERT W. PIERCE,
MILWAUKEE.
T THE subject of this sketch, a son of Richard and Sarah (Rudd) Pierce, was born in Buck- land, Franklin county, Massachusetts, February 14, 1821. His father owned a small farm in the Bay State, and was barely able to extract a subsistence
tinguished many of the early settlers of New Eng- land.
In 1844 our subject removed to the West and settled in Milwaukee, which has since been his home. He engaged in the manufacture of matches, for his family from the rocky hillsides, and was al- 2 first on a small scale, selling his merchandise in ways poor ; consequently the educational advantages small packages to the storekeepers, but enlarged his operations gradually as the demands of trade in- creased until he built up quite an extensive busi- ness, of which he retained the entire control and management until the year 1855, when he took his brother, Albert L. Pierce, into partnership with him. He subsequently sold fractions of his interest to others, retaining for several years only one fourth of the business. This he disposed of entirely in 1860. He had previously embarked in the lumber business, to which his time and attention have since been mainly devoted. By prudence and industry he has built up one of the largest establishments in this line in the city of Milwaukee. In 1872, in com- pany with three others, he built the " Minerva Iron Furnace," of Milwaukee. This establishment was afterward organized into a joint stock company un- der a charter from the State, and called the Minerva Iron Company, Mr. Pierce being treasurer of the same. The institution is in a flourishing condition, making money for its owners and giving employ- ment to a large number of hands. From 1856 to of his children, eleven in number, were limited to the common schools, then only in their infancy. Robert worked upon the farm most of the time during. the summer season and attended school in the winter until he attained the age of fourteen. This, with one term at an academy after he attained the age of twenty-one constituted his schooling. By subsequent study and observation, however, he has become one of the wisest and best informed men of his day. He is descended from English an- cestors, who came to America about the year 1725 and settled in Taunton, Massachusetts, where many of the descendants still reside. The grandfather of our subject, Josiah Pierce, was a soldier in the revo- lutionary war, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill and many other hard-fought fields of that memorable struggle. In after life he settled in Buckland, where he was known as a man of great moral worth, and exercised considerable influence in his neighborhood. The family were noted for integrity, intelligence and the principles that dis-
5-pi hy BRIall & Sons 62 Falten StVY
R. W. Pierce
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1862 Mr. Pierce was one of the directors of the old Farmers and Millers' Bank of Milwaukee, an insti- tution noted for its high standing and honorable dealing under the presidency of the Hon. E. D. Holton. It was subsequently organized into the First National Bank of Milwaukee, of which E. H. Broadhead is now president.
Mr. Pierce has never held any political office, though often solicited by liis fellow-citizens to allow the use of his name in that connection, preferring to attend strictly to his own private business, in which he has given employment to a large number of hands, thereby benefiting himself and others more than he could have done in any other way.
Mr. Pierce is a plain, generous-hearted man; uniform in temper and manners, not given to moods nor governed by spasmodic impulses, but always the same - friendly, cordial and kind to every one with whom he is brought in contact; a thorough, pru- dent and safe business man, upright in all his deal- ings, benevolent and charitable not only to the poor and unfortunate, but willing to lend a helping hand to those struggling to gain a position, and this with- out ostentation or display. To his friends and inti- mates he is genial and cordial. He is emphatically a home man, and seldom mingles in general society. Although not in communion with the church, he
takes a great interest in matters pertaining to relig- ious institutions, contributing liberally to the support of church organizations in general and to those of the Congregational church in particular.
In political sentiment he is identified with the re- publican party, and during the war was heart and soul in the cause of the Union. He gave liberally of his means toward the support of the families of those who were fighting the battles of their country, and toward organizations for the care of the sick and wounded soldiers. He is, moreover, a self-reliant man ; does his own thinking, acts upon his convic- tions of duty, and rarely makes a mistake.
He was married on the 24th of June, 1846, to Miss Elizabeth M., daughter of Paul Burdick, Esq., one of the first settlers of Milwaukee. Mrs. Pierce is a noble and excellent woman, to whose aid and counsel is largely due the success of her husband in business. In social life she is amiable, frank and unassuming, eminently charitable and kind-hearted, much of her time being spent in visiting the poor and sorrowing and in ministering to their necessi- ties. They have four children, all boys : Edgar F., who is a member of the firm of R. W. Pierce and Co .; Lewis W., who is at present attending the State University at Madison : R. W., junior, and Chester Burdick.
JAMES O. RAYMOND,
STEVENS POINT.
JAMES OLIVER RAYMOND, for twenty-one years an attorney-at-law in Portage county, Wis- consin, and one of the leading men at its bar, is a native of the Empire State. He was born in the town of McDonough, Chenango county, on the 31st of May, 1831, the son of Edward Raymond, a farmer by occupation. His mother was an Osborn, whose grandfather was killed in the battle of Bennington. James attended school most of the time until he was eighteen, and taught two seasons. He began study- ing law in the office of John M. Parker, of Owego, New York, in 1853; then taught one more term, and in the summer of 1855 removed to Plover, Portage county. Wisconsin, and opened a law office in the following May, in partnership with Hon. Luther Hanchett, once member of congress, and since de- ceased. He practiced his profession 'at Plover with good success until July, 1873, when he removed to
Stevens Point, and here continues the practice, with a rising reputation.
Mr. Raymond was elected district attorney in 1856, 1858 and 1866, serving, in all, six years.
In February, 1865, he went into the army as order- ly sergeant of Company C, 52d Wisconsin Infantry, and served until the following August, when the regiment was mustered out of the service. In the autumn of that year he was elected a member of the general assembly, representing Portage county.
Mr. Raymond is a member of the blue lodge and chapter in the Masonic order, and was master of the lodge at Plover several years.
He began his political life as a whig, voting that ticket in 1852, and has since acted with the republi- can party, being one of its leaders in Portage county.
He has been twice married : the first time in Octo- ber, 1857, to Miss Mary E. Harris, of Canton, Ohio.
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She had three children, one of whom is now living. She died in October, 1864. His second marriage, in April, 1867, was to Mrs. Lucinda Hanchett, the widow of his former law partner.
Mr. Raymond is a man of studious habits, and attends very strictly to his profession and has an unimpeachable character, both in a legal and in a moral sense.
PATRICK G. CHEVES,
NORWAY.
P ATRICK GRAY CHEVES, son of James and Elizabeth (Morrison) Cheves, was born in the town of Frasersburg, county of Aberdeen, Scotland, May 20, 1820. His father was a stone-mason, and wages being low and employment unsteady, he re- mained poor all his lifetime. He was a man of the strictest principles of morality, upright and honor- able in all his dealings, frugal and temperate in his habits, and, moreover, an exemplary member of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. His mother was a meek and gentle Christian, of delicate constitution, and a great sufferer during a large portion of her lifetime, but bore her afflictions with fortitude and resignation. Owing to the indigence of his father and the ill-health of his mother, Patrick was sent at an early age to live with his grandmother, Mrs. Christian Cheves, with whom he remained till the age of eight years. From this excellent old lady, then over eighty years old and almost blind, he re- ceived the greater part of the education which fell to his lot. He stood by her side while she turned her spinning wheel and read to her from the Bible, so that before quitting the care of this good woman he had read the Old and New Testaments over many times, and committed to memory large portions of them, which he was required to repeat at Sunday- school, of which he was a regular attendant.
From the home of this good grandmother he was removed to that of an uncle, with whom he remained till the age of fourteen, attending school occasion- ally and working on the farm, or serving as a herd- boy. Although his uncle was a kind and indulgent man, yet the experience of young Cheves under his government seemed rigorous, when contrasted with the loose rein and comparative freedom which he had enjoyed in the house of his grandmother. His services were next transferred to another uncle, who carried on the business of farming and merchandis- ing on a small scale, and with whom he remained for two years. Here he was governed by a still tighter rein, and the restraints of the family chafed and
fretted his young heart, so that he considered his burden intolerable, and resolved to quit the home of his relative and seek employment in the city of Aberdeen. Accordingly, gathering together his scanty wardrobe, which comprised a small bundle, he stealthily left in the night, and started on foot for his destination-some thirty miles distant -with only one half-sovereign (two dollars and a half) in his pocket. After traveling all night he arrived at Aberdeen in the morning, and as the sun arose and gilded the tops of the lofty spires of the city he thought he had reached the goal of his ambition, and that henceforth his course would be smooth and free from trial; but alas, he soon found that his troubles had only commenced, and that in fleeing from the ills he knew, he had but flown to others he knew not of. He went from shop to shop in the city trying to find employment as a merchant's clerk; but every one to whom he applied seemed to cast a suspicious look at him, and coldly informed him that they needed no help just then. Wearied out and almost heartbroken, he at last found a house that seemed to promise employment. The master asked him some questions as to his proficiency as a clerk, where he had been employed, and then in- quired if he had a letter of recommendation from his last master, to which he was obliged to answer "No." The next question was, "What church do you belong to?" "To the Episcopal." "I pre- sume," added the interrogator, "you have your minister's certificate?" Being again answered in the negative, he turned his back on the would-be clerk, saying, "I do not need your services." At this crisis his fortitude well nigh forsook him, and bitterly did he rue his flight from the house of his uncle, but he was not yet ready to return. He still had five shillings left, and resolved that he would seek employment lower down in the social scale, where "recommendations " and " certificates " were not considered essential. The following day was what was known as the "Hallowe'en Fair," at which
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the farmers of the neighborhood would "hire " their hands for the next six months. He accordingly placed himself in the position of a candidate for employment in this capacity, but his youthful look and very delicate frame were but poor recommen- dations in this direction. No one accosted him during the day. Toward evening he saw a farmer trying to hire a man; but noticing that they did not agree, he approached the former, offering his ser- vices. Eyeing the stripling, he remarked : "You are not just the kind of person I want, but if you can thrash grain with the flail I will give you a job at a shilling a quarter," about eight bushels. The terms were accepted, for the poor lad was glad to find anything to do, if only to feed swine. The home of the farmer was some thirty miles from Aberdeen on the river Dee. He worked very hard all winter, often when the blood ran down the handle of the flail, realizing not more than a shilling a day (twenty-five cents). Thus his early experience in the home of the stranger, that at first seemed so promising, was fraught with bitterness, and deeply did he repent the step which, in an evil hour, had taken him from his uncle's home, which, contrasted with later experiences, seemed a paradise. For some time after completing this engagement he was un- able to procure other employment. He had neither money nor friends ; his clothes were worn out ; his case was desperate. He had been away six months; to return to his uncle in that plight was not to be thought of; he had not entirely "come to himself " yet. Returning to Aberdeen he again sought em- ployment in vain. He practiced the utmost econ- omy; bought his loaf daily, which he ate dry, and hired a bed at night. At last he was employed to drive a coal cart, for which he was to receive a shilling a day ; but his employer, who was a worth- less villain, not only did not pay him for his services, but borrowed from him the few shillings he had left on entering his service, which he spent in a drink- ing-house. Driven to desperation, utterly dispirited and sick of life, he determined to cast himself into the river, and thus be rid of an intolerable burden. Going under the bridge to carry this design into execution, he was suddenly startled by a rough voice commanding him to get out of there. It was that of a policeman, whose duty it was to prevent persons from trespassing on those premises. Young Cheves made an humble apology, and was allowed to go free. Thus saved, in the providence of God, from self-destruction, he resolved to make another
effort to find work. He met an elderly gentleman, to whom he made known his situation, who spoke encouragingly and gave him introductions that led to his being employed at larger wages than he had previously received. His industry, good conduct, and previous experience soon gained for him the confidence and esteem of his new employers, who increased his wages and promoted him to greater responsibilities. But the close confinement of the counting-room soon began to tell on his health, and a vacation became necessary. Well clothed and provided with money, he now sought the house of his uncle, where he was received, as indeed, a re- turned "prodigal." His ingratitude and folly were forgiven, and he was prevailed upon to remain at Longside, the home of his friends, where he soon regained his health and found remunerative employ- ment, and began to save money. But he had been reading of America, and of the wonderful oppor- tunities which that great country offered to industri- ous young men to become rich, and became im- patient of the slow process of accumulation peculiar to his native Scotland. While in this transition state he met with a Mr. Wm. Smith, a native Scotch- man, who for a number of years past had been a resident of Pike Grove, Kenosha county, Wiscon- sin, who was then home on a visit to his friends. This gentleman offered to aid young Cheves with money to pay his passage to America, and to give him employment when he reached there. The offer was accepted, and in company with three others- namely, Miss Margaret, a sister of Mr. Smith; Mr. James Smith, a nephew, and James Duguid, a rela- tive of our subject-he started for the western world. They sailed from Liverpool in April, 1840, and after a passage of thirty-five days landed in New York. Thence they traveled by land and lake to Southport, now Kenosha, Wisconsin, which point they reached on the Ist of June of the same year. On landing here he was possessed of a single dollar bill, which he had obtained in trade from the colored barber on the lake-boat, but which proved to be worthless, the bank by which it was issued hav- ing failed several years previously. He now went to work for his benefactor, and remained with him until his claim was fully met. He subsequently worked for a short period on the Illinois and Michi- gan canal, where he earned fair wages.
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