The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 132

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement > Part 132

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

VOLNEY E. BREWER, jeweler ; was born in Otego. Otsego Co .. N. V .. May 16. 1841; moved from there to Lisle. Broome Co .. N. Y .. when 10 years of age, lived there eight years : Mr. Brewer traveled in Western New York for several years selling patent medicines, musical instru- ments, etc .: was one year in the oil regions of Pennsylvania, spent a year in Illinois, Iowa and Mis- souri before coming to Portage, where he arrived in 1868; he learned the jewelers' trade in Lisle, N. Y .. and has been engaged in that business ever since coming to Wisconsin ; he is a member of the I. O. O. F.

JOHN BRICK WELL was born in Highwicombe, Buckinghamshire, England. Dec. 8, 1813 ; emme to Wisconsin from Uxbridge. England, Jocating at Ft. Winnebago in 1843; made a claim in Lewiston on Sees. 1, 2 and 11 (only one section) ; lived there until 1857. then removed to Portage : Mr. B. was first Justice of the Peace of Ft. Winnebago and organized all the schools before the town was organized or surveyed, and was the first School Superintendent of that place ; he came to Portage, was admitted to the bar March 4, 1856, and to the Supreme Court Nov. 9, 1877 ; his naturalization papers were issued Sept. 11, 1856. Mr. Brickwell was married in Uxbridge, England, to Sarah Barton. a native of Highwicombe. They have two children-Joseph and Sarab Ann. Mr. B. has held the office of Alderman several times, President pro tem. of the Council, etc., Justice of the Peace for several years, Clerk of District School Board when he first came to Portage. Acting Mayor one year, and was elected Supervisor April 6. 1880. llis son is now living on the land which his father first entered in this county ; he was elected Justice of the Peace in Lewiston in April, 1880.

HARVEY BRIGGS was born in Benson, Rutland Co .. Vt., May 17. 1818; educated at Castleton Seminary, read Jaw in the town of Whitehall. Washington Co .. N. Y .. admitted to the bar of Vermont in 1842 : he then practiced law in his native place until 1854 ; came to Portage June 4, 1854, has resided in Wisconsin ever since ; he purchased a farm on Sec. 6 in the town of Lewiston, lived there one year ; in 1858, removed to Packwaukee, was appointed County Judge of Marquette Co. July 16, 1858 ; in the spring of 1859, was elected to the same office on the Republican ticket by a majority of 500 in a Democratie district, served until 1862, when he resigned ; was also Justice of the Peace and Assessor while in that county ; removed to Briggsville, was there until 1874 ; then in Montello one year, and took charge of the office of County Judge. Came to Portage in 1875. where he has remained ever since; has been Justice of the Peace for four years. Mr. Briggs was married at Cornwall, Vt., May 2, 1844, to Francis L. Peck, a native of Cornwall ; they have three children- Carlton W., now at Grand Rapids, Wood Co., Wis. born April 21, 1845: Cloe Anne, now Mrs. Fred Davis, of Lewiston, born September, 1851 ; Ella May. now Mrs. James S. Gay, of Douglas, Marquette Co., born July 13. 1858-Jost one son, Amasa, born March 19, 1847. died in Michigan in 1867, aged 20 years ; Carlton enlisted as a private in Co. K. 18th W. V. I., in January, 1862 : was Captain of the 44th W. V. I. when he was mustered out, after close of the war: was AActing Assistant Inspector General of the post at Paducah.

JAMES R. BRODIE was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, about seven miles from Glasgow, Angust. 1836 : came to America in 1866, and to Portage in the fall of the same year; learned the trade of shoemaking when he was 10 years of age, and has been engaged in that business since arriving here, and in trade alone for the last six years. Married in the town of Ardrie, Scotland, June, 1863, to Margaret Leeds Potter ; she was born in Scotland ; they have three children - Bella, Willie and James, lost two, one infant son James, and Maggio, who died in February. 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Brodie are members of the Presbyterian Church.

L. WALTER BROWN was born on Fox Island, Me .. June 1, 1850 ; came with his parents to the town of Dekorra, Columbia Co .. Wis., in the fall of 1854 ; engaged in farming there until 1865, when he removed to JJackson Co., Min .; his mother. Mary Green Brown, died in the town of Dekorra. April 16, 1865. leaving six children-Eurena J., now Mrs. S. T. Keller, residing in Jackson Co., Minn .; Frank M., now a resident of Maine; Roscoe G .. Quinnesce, Mich .; Flora E., now Mrs. D. Il. Haggard. of Winnebago Agency ; L. Walter (the subject of this sketch), of Phillips, Wis., Register of Deeds for Price Co., dealer in pine lumber, real estate, etc., and Harvey H., mineral explorer at Quinnesec. Mr. B. enlisted in Co. E, 50th W. V. I. in January, 1865, mustered in Feb. 22 of the same year : mustered ont in June. serving three months and twenty-five days ; lived in Wisconsin most of the time since 1851; a resident of Price Co. since 1876 ; local agent about three years for Senator Price, one of the largest individual lumber operators in America ; since then, operating on his own account principally ; his brothers and sisters are all natives of Maine, except Harvey L. who was born in Columbia Co .; father and mother both born on Fox Island. Me.

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CITY OF PORTAGE.

ARCHIBALD BRYCE was born Ang. 25. 1801. near Glasgow. Scotland ; his parents came to America the April after his birth, and settled in Stamford. Delaware Co .. N. Y., where he resided till 23 years of age; the well-known cares and duties of a thrifty farmer's son were his till attaining his majority. He was married Dec. 1. 1824. to Miss Jannette Frazer, formerly of Inverness, Scotland ; he lived twelve years at Little Falls. Herkimer Co., N. Y .; was engaged seven years of the time as overseer of repairs on a section of the Erie Canal : and five years was engineer in a paper-mill at Little Falls ; he lived four years in Oswego Co., N. Y., and then about six years in Steuben Co., engaged in the lumber trade ; he was a farmer four years in Ontario ; and then in May. 1849. he came to Columbia Co. and bought a farm in Marcellon Township ; this was his home till 1870, when he sold this farm and soon afterward moved to Portage ; his fine brick residence is but a block from the court house, and on the corner of Clark and Pleasant streets ; they have raised ten children-Thomas. Margaret ; Chauncey, who died in the army ; Jeanette, Mary, Ann, Sarah ; Daniel, dead ; David. dead. and Carrie ; one of the widowed daughters, Mrs. Sarah Tarbell, resides with the parents in their pleasant home : she was married to George L. Tar- bell in 1860, and his death occurred in 1868. Mr, Bryce, although nearly fourscore, is still hale and vigorous ; himself and worthy helpmeet have trod the reliable path of industry and economy which almost inevitably leads to an old age of happiness and competency. " I'nele Bryce" boasts that he "never speculated, never went to bed hungry and never had a lawsuit."

WILLIAM W. BULLARD, the subject of this sketch. is a native of Vermont; is the son of Derreck and Sibley Ballard : was born in Weybridge. Addison Co .. Vt., Aug. 23. 1845, lived there until he was 2 or 3 years old, when his parents moved to Martinsburg, Lewis Co., N. Y .; remained there about twelve years ; during the next two years lived in Kingston, Canada, when he removed to Rutland. Dane Co .. Wis .; resided there about eight months. Feb. 10, 1861. enlisted in Co. A (Lieut. Nobles commanding), 8th U. S. Infantry ; served in that regiment until May 12, 1862 ; on account of disability, did guard duty at Ft. La Fayette and Ft. Hamilton ; re-enlisting in July. 1862, in Co. E, 23d W. V. L., and was mustered out August, 1865 ; moved to Baraboo and resided there until coming to Portage, in 1876. Married Miss Isabelle Elgie, daughter of Mathew Elgie, who came to Caledonia thirty years ago, and is now living there, March 18. 1866 ; she was born in Guelph, Canada ; they have one daughter-Belle, born Dee. 25, 1866.

WILLIAM G. BUNKER, son of Levi and Maria Bunker; was born in the town of West River, Randolph Co., Ind., Aug. 17, 1834; his parents moved to Wayne Co., Ind., in 1841 ; learned his trade at Richmond, Ind., and commenced business for himself in 1853, in Wheeling, Delaware Co .. Ind .; remained there six years ; then went to Logansport, where he remained until 1861, when he moved to Galveston, in Cass Co., and remained there four years, when he came to Portage in spring of 1865 and engaged in harness-making, which business he has since followed, with the exception of two years that he resided in the town of Ft. Winnebago. Was elected Justice of the Peace in 1874. and was ro-eleeted in 1876 and 1878. Mr. B. was married in Jonesboro, Grant Co., Ind., Dec. 17. 1857, to Ursula A. Mehaffey ; she was born near Dayton, Ohio, May, 1840 ; they have two children-Adeline M. and Warren W. Mr. Bunker is a member of I. O. O. F. since 1862.

ALEX. CARNAGIE, a native of Cupeer, in Fyfe, Scotland ; was born July 12, 1820, emi- grating to America in 1840, and locating in Vermilion Co., N. Y .; remained there one year and a half ; then going to Albany, N. Y., where he made it his home until 1848; then coming to Milwaukee, and remaining there until September, 1850, when he came to Portage; returning to New York City in 1853 ; living on Staten Island most of the time until 1855, when he returned to this city, which since has been his home. Mr. C. learned his trade before leaving Scotland. He married in the town of Hope, Ham- ilton Co., N. Y., June 3, 1842, Eliza Mills, who was born in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, Aug. 12, 1824; they have four children, three sons and one daughter-Agnes, Alex, Jr., John W. and George. Mr. Carnagie has been City Assessor for two terms, also Alderman of the Second Ward two years.

FRED G. CASTLE, passenger conductor on the Northern Division of the C., M. & St. P. R. R .; born in Wankau, Wis., Sept. 2, 1851 ; his father was for several years proprietor of the Exchange Hotel at Omro, Wis. At the age of 14 years, he left home to seek his fortune, and spent four years in the pineries, part of the time as cook and the last portion as lumberman. When 18, he began railroading as brakeman on the Northern Division of the C., M. & St. P. R. R .; after one year's experience, he was promoted the charge of same train-the " Winneconnee Freight"-which he ran four years : then for a year, he was an " extra passenger man," and, in the spring of 1875, he was appointed conductor of a passenger train on the same road, and he has been in continuous service to date-

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summer, 1880. He was married, Sept. 5, 1877, to Miss Frankie Gould, of Beaver Dam, Wis .; they have one son, named Guy Wilkinson, born on the Sth of February, 1879. Mrs. Castle is a member of the Baptist Church at Portage; she is a graduate of the high school at Lincoln, Neb .; she is a nicce of B. F. Taylor, the well-known author-America's gifted word painter ; she herself wields a ready and graceful pen Mr. Castle is one of " the boys " who has hosts of friends; is a genial and popular conductor ; he will be recognized in Portage by his constant attendant, "Don," the noblest dog in th . city, a pure-blood St. Bernard.

MRS. JULIA E. CHRISTOPHER, née Waters, was born on the 11th of April. 1832. in Massena, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y .; her early education was in her native town, and afterward with her brother in Canada ; she and her brother Daniel came West in the fall of 1855, and the winter follow- ing, they together engaged in teaching the public school in Portage. In the summer of 1856, she. tanght school in District No. 5, township of Wyocena, and boarded with David Reynolds, an old pioneer. Eighteen years afterward, 1874, her stepdaughter, Mary Christopher, taught in the district, same school- house, boarded at same house and in the same family. In the summer of 1879, her oldest daughter, Susie E. Christopher, taught in same district, in same schoolhouse and boarded at the same house, but the old pioneer, David Reynolds, had gone to his last home. Mrs. C. taught in Ft. Winnebago before her marriage. In 1857, she taught in the First Ward School, and for the last five years, her stepdaughter, Mary, has been teaching in the same building, which has been moved nearer the present center of busi- ness, and now her daughter is teaching in the same building. Mrs. Christopher is one of a family of ten children, of whom seven have been successful teachers in Wisconsin. She was married on the 2d of October, 1859, to Thomas Christopher, of Portage; they had six children -- Susie E., Daniel T., who is dead ; Daniel J., George M., Julia B. and Willie J., all of whom live at home. Her husband was one of the earliest settlers in Portage -- came in 1848; he was a useful and leading citizen, and contributed largely to the building-up of the city ; he was a liberal Catholic, as is also Mrs. Christopher. He was seven times honored with the office of Assessor, and on the first Tuesday of April. 1872, he was again elceted to that difficult position, but on the 30th of April-the day before his official duties were to begin -he passed from earth's toils and triumphs to the rewards of the righteous.

JOHN TILLOTSON CLARK was born in what was then the town of Wolcott, now the town of Iluron, Wayne Co., N. Y., on the 16th of April. 186] ; he was the son of the Rev. William Clark, a Presbyterian clergyman, and Sophronia Tillotson; resided in luron until 1835. when he removed with his father to the town of Danby, Tompkins Co., N. Y. When 18 years of age. he purchased his time of his father, paying therefor $150. Naturally a close student, losing no opportunity to acquire information while in the service of his father, he now took measures calcu- lated to increase his facilities for gaining knowledge ; his time being his own, he applied all leisure moments to study, entering Owego Academy. Tioga Co., and Groton Academy, Tompkins Co., for brief terms during the winter seasons, and laboring in the harvest field during summer, in order that he might earn the price of his tuition : in September. 1843. he entered Hamilton College, where he graduated in 1845 ; in the fall of that year. he went to Camden. Oneida Co., N. Y., and taught a private school until July 5, 1848 ; during the latter part of this time, he studied law out of school hours ; from Camden he went to Lyons, N. Y., and was there engaged as Principal of the Lyons I'nion School for three years ; in the mean time he continued his study of the law, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1850, in Rochester. He was married at Lyons. N. Y., on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1851, to Harriet Louise Holley, daughter of John M. Holley, M. C. In April, 1853, he commenced practicing law with his eldest brother, William Clark, with whom he had studied ; in September of that year, he removed to New Brunswick. N. J., and soon took charge, as Principal. of the public school, remaining there until the spring of 1857. when he came to Wisconsin. locating at Portage, and engaging in the practice of his profession. In the spring of 1861, he was elected County Judge of Columbia Co., serving until the 1st of January, 1866 ; in the fall of this year, he was chosen District Attorney, and held that office two years : in 1870, he retired to his farm in the town of Roxbury. Dane Co., Wis., where he lived with his family until the fall of 1875, removing to the city of Madison, that his children might enjoy the advantages of the State University. In Feb- ruary, 1878, he purchased of Messrs. Brannan & Turner the Wisconsin State Register, soon after- ward admitting B. F. Goodell as a partner, and removing his family from the State capital in July. 1879 ; Judge Clark has sole control of the editorial columns of the Register. Seven children have been born to Judge and Mrs. Clark-Mary Holley, born in Lyons, N. Y .; Elizabeth Sophronia, and John Tillotson (died Nov. 19, 1863), born in New Brunswick. N. J .; Helen Louise. Julia Kirkland, Sarah Amelia and William Henry, born in Portage.

RES. OF I. W. SCHULZE PORTAGE WIS.

WUDD B.PRUYN

SERVILLE'S CASH STORE

RESIDENCE A BUISNESS BLOCK OF J.O. EATON LODI WIS.

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CITY OF PORTAGE.

W. G. CLOUGH, Principal of the high school, was born in Portage, May 20, 1853; son of Win. R. and Mary A. Gowey Clough; parents settled in Delavan, Wis., in 1846 ; afterward removed to Portage ; father died Feb. 8, 1869 ; Mrs. C. is still a resident of Portage; Mr. C. was educated in the public schools of Portage, and also a graduate of the State University at Madison in 1875 ; taught district schools three winters prior to entering the State University ; afterward appointed Assistant Principal of Portage High School, and held the position one year ; since that time has been Principal in the same school.

ROBERT COCHRANE, miller and grain dealer, was born April 25, 1822, in Westfield, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. ; his mill is in Westfield, Marquette Co., Wis., and his residence is in Portage ; in 1842, came west, and remained nearly three years in Joliet, Ill .; abont 1845, he, with three brothers, bought fully a thousand acres of land, near Waupun, and farmed unitedly on a large scale ; in 1850, himself and two brothers went to Marquette Co. and bought a large tract of land, and laid out a village, which, in honor of his birthplace, he named Westfield ; there they erected a grist-mill and saw-mill, and store and dwelling, and thus founded the village. He was married on the 12th of January, 1859, to Miss Lncy R. Emerton, of Ft. Winnebago ; she was born on the 21st of September, 1838, in Columbia, Coos Co., N. H. ; during the war, the Cochrane brothers divided their respective interests. Mr. Robert C. retaining the Westfield property ; he also has a farm in Dodge Co., besides the improvements at Westfield, and a large brick residenee in Portage. One child died in infancy, and four are living-Jennie E., Lula A .. R. Livingstone and T. Harry. Mr. C. has held town and county offices, and was a member of Legislature in 1863 ; is a member of the Odd Fellows and of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons ; he votes in local elections for the " best man," but in State and National affairs is of decided Democratie proclivities. Mrs. C. is a Presbyterian ; the family are highly respected.

J. COLE was born in the town of Cherry Valley. Otsego Co., N. Y., Nov. 15, 1815 ; worked in cotton mills in Oneida Co. until nearly 21 years of age ; then went to Lockport, N. Y., and remained about three years ; returned to Rochester, and worked in the cotton-mills for eighteen months; in the fall of 1839, removed to Newton Falls, Ohio, residing there eleven years ; he subsequently resided in Painesville one year, Cleveland one year, town of Bristol two years ; Mr. C. came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1854, and located at Oconomowoc, residing afterward at Milwaukee and Hartford ; in the fall of 1858, was employed by railroad company, as machinist, running stationary engines, etc. ; remained in their employ for twelve years ; in September, 1871, engaged in flour and feed business, and has continued in that business ever since ; he also deals in wooden pumps. Mr. C. was married in Rochester, N. Y., in the fall of 1839, to Mary A. McDonald, a native of Water- town, Jefferson Co., N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Cole are both members of the M. E. Church ; Mr. C. is Steward, Recording Secretary and Class Leader in the church.

CONRAD COLLIPP. [An autobiography]. I was born Feb. 21, 1822, in the village of Obersuhl, in the middle Werra Valley of Northwest Thuringia, near the city of Eisenach, and the renowed castle of Wartburg, where Dr. Martin Luther in the years 1522-23 translated the Bible into the German langnage ; my birthplace, Obersuhl, belonging at that time to the Electorate of Hesse- Cassel, now to Prussia; I was brought up under stern Protestantism-the German Reformed Church- vigorous Zwingli-Calvanism. My father. John Collipp, was a very severe and stiff military gentle- men, of strict morality and of very few words ; he was a manufacturer of worsted and other fine white woolen yarns ; he owned quite a wealth of real estate. My mother's name was Christina Mohr. of old German stock, tough and wiry all her lifetime ; she died in Philadelphia in 1873, 77 years of age. I was the only son of five children, having four sisters ; I went to school about fourteen years. from my 4th to my 14th year, in what we call in regular school, and four years in extra preparatory school for higher studies, mostly three times a day, till I was 18 years old. My mother becoming a widow through the sudden death of my father, and she intending to use me for other purposes than book studies, took me away from school against my most obstinate remonstrances and wishes, and put me in apprenticeship to a damask-weaver, and afterward to plush and velvet weaving. After the death of my father, my mother, who had given up my father's business, commenced a commer- cial business of selling table-linen, damask and general hosiery, besides carrying on our farming : from my 18th to my 22d year, I have always considered the worst four years of my life, because being compelled to engage in employments against my inclinations and wishes ; I rather would have liked to be a soldier from my 20th year, but even that could not be, for I was the only son of a widow, and therefore exempt by law and the circumstances ; but thank God ! the year of 1844 came on. the year of my majority-22 years old according to German laws ; yes, dear mother-22 years

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old, now I can do something for myself: and straightway I prepared to go into the great universe, wheresoever I might get to, to the East Indies or elsewhere, no difference to me.

The 17th of March, 1844. I left the old domicile of my mother and my native village of Obersuhl amidst copious shedding of tears and great sorrow of my dear mother, sisters and hundreds of friends : per foot, knapsack on my back. cane in hand, the legal papers and passports, and necessary cash in my pockets ; going to Göttingen in pretty bad weather, and rather footsore, I took the mail coach for Bremen ; arriving in Bremen the 22d of March. 1844. I noticed a large poster, stating that in a few days a ship would sail for America; I went to the office and asked what it would cost to go to America ; the man asked me what I had. I told him nothing but myself and a knapsack ; he told me if I paid 19 thalers in gold. I could go, I paid right away and took my passage ticket ; after looking around the city of Bremen, and buying some maps of America and other stationery. I finally left the old foggy place in a schooner on the Weser River for Braka some miles seaward. On the night of the 24th of March. 1844. I left dear old Fatherland in the brig Louisa, Capt. Claus Wencke, for far-off America ; in the morning. when I got out, I could see nothing more of land. only dreary fog, and once in awhile a dangerous looking buoy in dismal waters. Adien. After a stormy and terrific voyage of eight weeks in despair, suffering in the meantime almost every conceivable misery and discomfort, Iarrived hale and hearty the 21st of May. 1844, and about 9 o'clock A. M. set my feet on dry land at Spruce street wharf in Philadelphia, thanking God and kissing the very dry soil on terra firma. I advaneed a few rods upon my "sea-legs" to the corner of Spruce and Water street, to a barrier post. made of an old cannon, and gazed with delight in the balmy bright May morning up Spruce street, with its gilt-lettered behung signs. While I was standing there in won- drous admiration and meditations of many sorts, a middle-aged. tall, palefaced and lank gentleman of a pleasant countenance approached me and asked, whether I had come with yonder ship, point- ing with his finger toward the brig Louisa, with the Bremen flag flying in the breeze in the Dela- ware River ; I understood so much. that I assented with nodding of my head : for with the remem- brances of the voyage, I had no desire to look toward the ships. The gentleman spoke a few more words to me, but l shook my head in the negative; a few moments afterward, he said, you stay here a few minutes : I understood that also partially, and again assented with my head nodding : scarcely five minutes had elapsed and the same gentleman appeared in company with a youngish man ; this youngish man stepped toward me, and bade me very pleasantly good morning in German. and asked me further in the German language whether I had just come with that ship. over there in the river, and whether there had not come some person I knew of who could manufacture such ma- terial as my cap was made of (I had a plush cap on my head). I answered that I had learned to make such stuff at Marksuhl in Saxe-Weineingen ; they both appeared very much pleased, but I did care much about it, for F was very hungry, having scarcely eaten anything within sixty hours of the miserable food on board the ship; though I was enchanted with the handsome landscapes, the crow- ing of roosters, lowing of cattle, sights of towns, orchards and fields on both sides of the grand Del- aware Bay and River, slowly coming up with the ship, in delightful May weather ; the old gentleman soon left, but the youngish man stayed with me, took me to an adjacent hotel, where a bountiful table was set with everything the heart could wish for, such as I only had seen at grand festivals ; 1 thought by myself. Collipp, you have it ; there is surely a great festival on the go here ; no doubt of it, for all the people are dressed so well and everything looks so gay ; the reader may depend on it, I did cat at that time with great comfort, and to my entire satisfaction.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 132

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104