The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 71

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082

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Mrs. Crawford left a devoted, grief-stricken husband, mother and brother to mourn the loss of one they loved with all their hearts. Mrs. Arnold, her mother, was at her bedside for months, ministering to her every want as only a mother could. She left one child, a beautiful little girl six months old.

" She was," says a writer, "at a very tender age deprived by death of her father's guard- ianship, and early became to her widowed mother aud younger brother, not only the loving daughter and affectionate sister, but their counselor, comforter and sustainer.

" As the truest instinets of the human heart, either in individuals or as publie sentiment, demand . honor to whom honor is due,' so, at school and in social life, the highest honors were royally and gratefully accorded to her. Her marriage to Mr. Charles A. Crawford, of Traverse City, Mich., took place on September 8, 1872. From this time until her death, two years later, Traverse City was her home. The transfer of homes brought no loss to the flower, and friends, new and old, wondered at the marvelous florescence of brain and heart.

" But it was through her graceful and gifted pen that the light from her beautiful soul-life went gleaming away in every direction beyond the circle of those who could receive the inspira- tion from personal association. She seemed to have divined-perhaps unconsciously-that our ideals must be, to a great extent, personally incarnated in order to accomplish the greatest good upon human heart; so brain and heart were mutual helpers, and the young life was full of promise and prophecy, the fulfillment of which was growing daily more beautiful until the steps began to falter, and even then the life-work went on, for the true ' Allie '-the clear mind and pure, loving heart-did not falter.

" The amount of work she accomplished was something marvelous. She was, for years, a regular contributor to the Fond du Lac papers, also a frequent contributor to Harper's Weekly. the Advance, the Christian at Work, the Christian Union, and other prominent papers.

" The numerous regretful and appreciative press notices of her death, in these and other papers, attest the high esteem in which her writings are held.

" Among the many beautiful poems found in her published volume, 'A Few Thoughts for a Few Friends,' all deserving of high praise, we may name ' Blind Handel,' 'The Gates Ajar,' ' The Forest Easter,' and ' After the Storm,' as having received special commendation and ful- filled a special mission. Her writings are truly a precious legacy to her little daughter.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

" The praise which was most grateful to her was not admiration of her genius; it was to know that her words had quickened lives to higher and purer purposes, and that she had inspired others to 'make stepping-stones of their dead selves to better things.' "

EDWIN II. GALLOWAY.

The subject of this sketch was a native of Harrisburg, Lewis Co., N. Y., where he was born April 12, 1825. His father, Charles Galloway, was a farmer by occupation, and ranked high as a citizen and neighbor. Edwin, in his younger days, was sent with the other children to the district school, but subsequently finished his studies at the Lowville Academy. At the close of school, he entered the employ of a merchant of Lowville, where he remained two years. At the age of twenty-three, of slight physical build, with poor health and with money capital hardly equaling his necessary traveling expenses, he started westward, locating at Fond du Lac in the spring of 1848. The place then was but a small village, known to but few, but speedily destined, with such citizens as young Galloway, to develop its resources-to spring forth into prominence, prosperity and importance. Recognizing at a glance the natural advantages sur- rounding Fond du Lac, he commenced early to operate in real-estate, and followed it success- fully for many years. A short time only he tried the mercantile business, dropping it to take up lumbering in all its various and extensive branches. In this and his real estate business he continued until 1866, when by reason of poor health, which forbade the active employment nec- essary in carrying on a business embracing numerous large enterprises, he commenced gradually to withdraw his investments and reduce his affairs to within the limit of his physical strength. For ten years previous to his death, he was a large stockholder and one of the managers of the Savings Bank of Fond du Lac, of which institution he was Vice President at the time of his decease.

Although for nearly twenty-five years, Mr. Galloway ranked among the most active and successful business men of the State, his well-known social qualities-his good nature and uni- form gentlemanly deportment, seem never once to have left him. In this particular he was quite remarkable. Always kind, considerate and attentive, rich and poor alike sought his counsel and aid, and they never sought in vain. His genial temperament could never be destroyed by the annoyances or cares of business strife. He was peculiarly a domestic man-devotedly attached to home and family. He was always to be found at his office or at the family fireside, the only exception to his rule being on occasions when, having accepted some of the numerous public positions so continually urged upon him, the performance of official duties necessitated his absence from both-a condition requiring the keenest sacrifice on his part. He served two terms in the Legislature ; several terms as Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors ; was City Treas- urer of Fond du Lac and its Mayor ; and served the public in various other capacities. In 1871, he was strongly supported for the Republican nomination for Governor, but peremptorily declined being a candidate. A leading, and perhaps the leading characteristic of the man was his almost unlimited benevolence and seemingly unbounded charity to the poor. During a quarter of a century at Fond du Lac, whenever any society, enterprise, or project having in view the well- being of the community, needed aid or encouragement, it always found a ready and bountiful friend in Mr. Galloway. Toward the poor, toward those in trouble, those sick or in distress, his action and sympathies were like a father, intent in doing all that lay in his power to relieve and make happy. He was married, November 5, 1850, to Maria H. Adams, whom he left a widow (and who still survives him) with four children-a son and three daughters. He died in the town of Fond du Lac May 7, 1876. His memory is cherished as one of the oldest, most respected, and best-loved citizens of Fond du Lac County.

ROBERT FLINT

was born in Wyoming County, N. Y. He studied law with John C. Spencer, in Canandaigua, and afterward practiced his profession in Buffalo for many years, winning, on merit, a fine

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

reputation as counselor and pleader. He came West with J. R. Doolittle in 1850, choosing his location at Fond du Lac, which was afterward his residence to the time of his death. Doolittle, as is well known, settled at Racine. Mr. Flint had determined to make the West his home because he liked the enterprising character of its people, and for the benefit of his health. Asthmatic difficulties had already interfered greatly with his public speaking, and the disease had obtained too firm a seat to be removed. He finally practically abandoned the practice of so much of his profession as demanded argument, but always kept an office and conducted business in the other departments of his calling.

In 1852, Mr. Flint entered into the contest for the Circuit Judgeship, but was beaten by a small majority. In the spring of 1860, he was elected County Judge, and, four years after, re-elected, serving with great satisfaction. Throughout his whole life he was very studious, and this is true not only as to matters of legal information, but in regard to scientific, historical, and other sub- jects. He read extensively and took notes of suggestions and impressions thereby derived dur- ing his lifelong application. It was a pleasure that never grew dull for him, to delve for riches of knowledge among books. He had a fine library in the line of his profession ; and so gener- ously did he appreciate its worth that he kindly invited young attorneys whose legal books were few, freely to refer to his large collection. Many of the lawyers of Fond du Lac will ever remember the cordial welcome given them by him when they most needed encouragement and advantages which they did not possess. A large number were once students in his office.

The health of Judge Flint had been broken for some years-numerous physical afflictions taking, successively, a hold upon him, and finally conquering his powerful constitution. In the accident on the North-Western Railway occurring to the first through train from Fond du Lac, hre sustained severe injuries to one of his limbs. Some two years before his death, he was severely hurt by falling down a flight of stairs, and this was the initial trouble to those which followed. He belonged to a long-lived family. His father had been dead only two or three years, when, on Feb- ruary 17, 1877, he departed this life. He was buried in Rienzi Cemetery, near the city of Fond du Lac. He was a man honored and respected as a citizen, worthy as a lawyer, and valuable as a friend.

MRs. S. W. BEALL.

Mrs. Samuel W. Beall, nec Elizabeth Fenimore Cooper, was born at Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y., in 1814. Her father, Isaac Cooper, was the son of Judge Cooper, the founder of the place to which his name was given. and brother of James Fenimore Cooper. Her mother was Mary Morris, grand-daughter of Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and niece of Gov. Morris, of Morrisania.

Her youth was passed at her native place, which, even at that time, by its natural beauty and picturesque surroundings, gave promise of the exceptional place it now occupies among the most beautiful of American cities, fully justifying the good taste and foresight of the clever and cultivated pioneers in choosing such a spot for a home for themselves and their descendants.

In May, 1827, she was married to Samuel W. Beall, of Frederick, Md., a descendant of the Randolphs of Virginia.

In June of the same year, she came to Green Bay, Mr. Beall having been appointed Receiver of Public Moneys at the Land Office. Green Bay was at that time in the Territory of Michi- gan and little more than a military post, and had few attractions to offer to a young, delicate and tenderly reared lady, like Mrs. Beall. But, during her residence of about four years in the society which began to gather about the fort as a nucleus, she was both its inspiring and presiding genins, and displayed from the beginning a rare ability in devising and pushing to success the charitable purposes of her life.

She was chiefly instrumental in founding the first Christian society, the church known to-day as the First Episcopal Church of Green Bay. She wrote the first New Year's address, and with her pen helped sustain the first newspaper.

The advantages for rapidly amassing a fortune having enabled Mr. Beall to retire from business, Mrs. Beall with her husband and children, returned to Woodside, on the shore of

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Otsego Lake, near Cooperstown. Here the lavish hospitality of Mr. Beall and the graces of Mrs. Beall. attracted to her elegant and spacious mansion Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, and whatever was best in Eastern New York.

But, the financial crisis of 1837 having made great inroads upon the ample fortune of Mr. Beall, he accepted a lucrative Government appointment and returned to Green Bay, and thenceforward Mrs. Beall identified herself for life with the interests of Wisconsin, easily resuming in the then thriving Western town the social position she was wont to fill so well in the small circle about the old fort, and, applying herself anew and with added interest to her many charities; and the incidents of her social life and her works have been among the pleasant- est reminiscences of the older inhabitants of " The Bay."

Mrs. Beall was a few years at Green Lake, where Mr. Beall was engaged in agriculture upon some of his lands. And when, in 1847, she removed to Taycheedah, at the southern extremity of Lake Winnebago, her family contained seven children, three sons and four daugli- ters. Here she organized and superintended a Sunday school, and, mainly by her personal efforts, kept up publie religious services, and devoted much of her time to works of active Chris- tian charity.

But, to the demands upon her patriotism during the great civil war, she responded with her all. Her husband and sons were in the army, and Mrs. Beall herself by the bedside of the sol- diers in the military hospital.

Upon her removal to Fond du Lac in 1867, she began her great work of building up the Home for the Friendless, and was its President until her failing strength made it necessary to resign that position and accept the Vice Presideney. At the time of her decease, in February, 1879, she was one of the Trustees of this benign institution, which she had placed upon a secure foun- dation.

WILLIAM PLOCKER

was born at London, England, May 28, 1811. His father was a Hollander, who spelled his name Plokker, and his mother was an English lady.

He was educated and brought up in Amsterdam, Holland. He left there as recorded above, landing at Boston July 1, 1827. In 1829, he moved to Orleans County, N. Y., and engaged in farming, teaching and clerking. In 1839-40, he was Collector of canal tolls at Brockport, N. Y., and later, cashier in Buffalo and Albany of the Western Transportation Company. In 1845-47, he was clerk and then Master of the fine steamer Wiskonsan, plying between Buffalo and Chicago. From this he obtained the title of Captain, by which he was always afterward known. In 1847, he settled at Fairwater, Fond du Lac County, where he thereafter lived and accumulated a competence. He was Supervisor of Metomen many years, Chairman of the County Board in 1857, Town Clerk some years, and a member of the Assem- bly in 1875.

He is well remembered in Fond du Lac. His slow, steady walk, as with hands clasped behind him he carefully scanned many times over the architecture, signs and features of every building as he passed, marked him at once with every person. He loved to take dinner at the American House, and when he visited his niece, Mrs. James Spence, which was often, he hardly ever failed to spend a day at the residence of Mrs. Keyes Darling, being an old friend to both Mrs. Darling and her husband. He was a great lover of bezique, and loved to visit those who played his favorite game.

Singularly enough, he returned to Boston to die, the place where he first set. foot upon American ground. He loved America and praised her people and Government wherever he went. While returning from a concert in Boston on the evening of December 11, he fell while on a street car and died without speaking, December 20, 1878.

His will was remarkably clear and concise, and written in that elegant hand which, even after three-score years had passed, was the pride of the " Captain." The special cash legacies of the will amounted to about $6,000, and the remainder of his large property was divided ratably

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

among his sisters and brother, or their heirs. The special legacies were, however, to all appear- ances, bestowed upon faithful servants or cherished friends-no one whom he loved being for- gotten.

To the Wisconsin State Historical Society he bequeathed his copy of the Nuremberg Bible, described hercafter.

To H. T. Henton, a favorite spy-glass.

To Charles Forbes, his collection of coins, which comprises many rare and valuable ones.

To R. C. Kelley, of Brandon (whom he paid the high compliment of making his executor without bond), Harper's Monthly, bound, from the beginning.

To Mrs. George Todd, his niece, twelve volumes of rare books not otherwise bequeathed. To Mrs. Cornelia Spence, of Fond du Lac, his niece and sister to Mrs. George Todd, " the contents of bis leather trunk."

To James Spence, of A. Spence & Son, Fond du Lac, husband of his niece Cornelia, Harper's Weekly, complete; London News, complete, and numerous rare novels collected, arranged and bound by him.

To Francis McK. Plocker, his nephew, manuscript book of " Anecdotes and Comicalities," in his own handwriting, and further described below.

To Charles P. Knapp, his Patent Office Reports, which were complete from the time the first report was issued.

To Cornelia Spence, "above named, the same," in addition to other things, a peculiar and valuable silk quilt, wrought in ancient times in an Italian nunnery. This quilt was the gift of a priest whom Mr. Plocker had befriended.

The document ends in rhyme-

" In witness whereof I hereunto My hand and seal have set, In presence of those whose names Below subscribe and witness it."

Then follows the signature of William Plocker.

"This will was published, sealed and signed, By the testator in his right mind ; In presence of us who at his request Have written our names these facts to attest."

Then follow the signatures of C. P. Knapp, Leander Ferguson and William D. Ash.

In one clause of the will is disclosed a bit of the tenderestromance, strongly characteristic of the fidelity and constancy of the man, which, as the party interested is now living in the county, will not be mentioned further. Suffice it to say it furnishes one of the reasons why he lived and died an old bachelor.

His collection of stereoscopic views number over five hundred, and covered the places most interesting to him in Europe and America. Many of them were very fine.

The Nuremberg Bible, bequeathed in the will to the State Historical Society, is a book about 18x12 inches, and six inches in thickness. It is heavily bound in what appears to be thick, whitish hog-skin, and is in perfect condition, although printed in 1710. It is in good German, printed on thick, yellow paper which looks as if it might have been made of wheat straw and water-the straw not finely cut-as it undoubtedly was. The title-page is in glaring red ink, which has not faded, apparently, in the least. All the principal events are finely but quaintly illustrated by steel engravings. Many of the passages are greatly dissimilar from the corresponding ones in modern Bibles, the fault, probably, of translating into German.

Ilis scrap-book is of absorbing interest. On the first page is a yellow leaf of paper on which is written in brown ink and in the " Captain's " clear hand, the following :

" Left Amsterdam on the 5th of April, 1827, at 7 o'clock in the morning. Left the Helder on the 8th of April, 1827, at 4 o'clock in the morning. Arrived in London on the 12th of April, 1827, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Left London on the 13th of May, 1827. at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Arrived in Boston on the 1st of July, 1827, at 4 o'clock in the morning."

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Everything he ever did is thus accurately noted down. His father paid his passage money for the trip here mentioned, but in order to gratify his desire for information, he worked before the mast as a common seaman. This " scrap-book " contains all the notes he ever gave and receipts for all the money expended by or for him. He must have been an honest man, or he would not have dared thus to preserve for the public the record of every act of his life ! Among other receipts is one for board, washing, room-rent and fires at the Park Hotel, Madison, for $129.70 in full, and signed by M. H. Irish. This amount ineluded all his expenditures while in Madison as Assemblyman from the First District. This was the only time the Captain ever was in the Legislature. On the middle pages of the book, which is a large one, are bills of various denominations of all the insolvent State banks, as well as counterfeit bills on those and other banks-each marked " fraud," "failed," or " counterfeit," as the case might be, with the date of issue or failure. Among these-and there are very many of them-is a counterfeit on the Wisconsin Fire and Marine Bank, of Milwaukee, dated July 4, 1847, and signed by Alex- ander Mitchell. It must have cost some time and money to collect even these bank bills. Further on may be found page after page of signatures. These comprise almost all the promi- nent men of the county and State-many of them marked, as is the signature of Gen. Halbert E. Paine, " a good friend of mine ;" or " an honest man," or " good business man," as he might know the different men. He has also at least a thousand signatures of such persons as Jeff . Davis, Mrs. L. HI. Sigourney, Lincoln, John G. Saxe, Fillmore and the leading authors, states- men and poets, beginning from the earliest colonial times. When or how he became possessed of them he left nothing to indicate. The signatures of the prominent county and State men were evidently elipped from business or other letters received during the last twenty-five years. Further on in this scrap-book, appear to be all the letters he had ever received, many of them fifty years old and written in various languages. Also all the receipted bills of expenses in his European travels. These bills are all modest.

The manuscript book of " Anecdotes and Comicalities," mentioned in the will, is one of the most interesting in the whole collection. All the incidents, stories, jokes, anecdotes and peculiarities of all he ever knew, are recorded in his own hand in the quaintest, drollest manner imaginable. Sometimes an aneedote is written in the form of a snake, or like a triangle, or a house, parallelogram, crescent, full circle, star or whatever at the time seemed to strike his fancy. Every letter and mark of punctuation is perfect throughout. Probably no other book was ever written like it in the world. It is quaint, interesting and valuable. He had also a large num- ber of Chinese and Pacific Island curiosities, some of them not to be duplicated in any antiquar- ian in the country. He saved, arranged systematically and properly marked, everything coming into his possession. All his newspaper, secret society and other receipt papers were arranged in groups, and all the papers received from the federal Government, and so on, in other groups.

The Fort Wilkins Agate, one of the greatest newspaper curiosities extent, was found care- fully preserved. The first copy is dated July 4, 1846. It is a folio, and all printed with a quill pen. It is as fine as ordinary bourgeois type. The name of the editor and printer could not be learned, but from the peculiar expressions it may be presumed to be the work of the Captain. He had also carefully preserved his first commission as Postmaster of Fairwater, which is signed by Cave Johnson as Postmaster General, and dated July 1. 1848. His collection of postage and revenue stamps was also large and valuable.

WILLIAM R. TALLMADGE

was born in Schennectady, N. Y., February 12, 1800. He went with his father to Tioga County, N. Y., then a wilderness, in early boyhood, where he grew to be a man and engaged in business. He was first a farmer and then a lumberman, and one of the most energetic and extensive dealers of that day. . He remained in business in Tioga until the crash of 1837, when lie failed. Two years before he made the West his home, he came and looked over the ground, and, in 1844. came directly to Fond du Lac County, which has ever since been his place of residence. He was married first to Miss Laura, daughter of Russell Gridley, a prominent man

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

of Tompkins County. The fruits of this union were three children-Russell G. Tallmadge, of Fond du Lac ; Kelsey D., who died some years ago, and Sarah, now Mrs. Robert Conklin, of Peebles Corners. The mother of these children died about forty years ago. Several years after, he married Sarah T. Reeve, of Goshen, N. Y., by whom he had four children ; three are still living-Helen, now Mrs. W. Northam, Calumet ; and Mary and William, both single and living at the old homestead. Maj. Tallmadge had some distinguished brothers-N. P., was Governor of Wisconsin when it was a Territory, and was fourteen years United States Senator from New York ; Daniel was one of the best lawyers in New York City, where he was afterward on the Supreme Bench ; the other members of the family were Joseph, Dr. Joel, Sutherland. Franklin, Mary and Hannah.

Dr. Joel, Gov. N. P., Franklin and Maj. W. R. settled near Fond du Lac, in Fond du Lac County, and all raised large families. A quarter of a century ago, almost every other man met in the vicinity Fond du Lac was a Tallmadge.

Among the more prominent nephews and nicces, as they can be easily recalled, are : Mrs. A. G. Ruggles, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Tallmadge, Mrs. Delany and William Tallmadge, of Fond du Lac; J. J. Tallmadge, Calumet : Mrs. Laura Galloway and Henry Tallmadge, Eau Claire ; I. S. Tallmadge, New York City ; Mrs. Mary L. Baldwin and Mrs. Emily Tallmadge, Chicago ; Solomon A. Horseheads, New York : Eric, Elkhart Lake, Wis .; Franklin, Los Angeles, Cal .; Butler, San Francisco, and Mrs. Francis Campbell, Winona, Minn.

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The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 71

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1082

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082