Wyman-Rye Farmstead

ELIJAH INMAW, farmer. Sees. 21 and 22 ; P. 0. Clinton ; born in Pennsylvania iii 1824 ; came to Wisconsin May 6, 1853, locating in the town of Plymouth, where he remained till 1863, when he moved to Bradford, and purchased 493 acres, his present homestead ; he is considered one of the largest and most successful farmers in the county ; he is also a large property holder in Clinton, where he has two stores and a butcher shop, also two houses and lots and one and one-half acres of residence property. Married, May 1, 1851, Miss Harriet Barney, a native of Pennsylvania; had six children - Milan B., bjrn Sept. 13, 1854; Ziba, Aug. 10, 1857, died Julv 27, 1862; Graizzie, born June 10, 1861; Bertha, Aug. 30, 1867 ; Shirley, May 13, 1870 ; John, Sept. 3, 1872. Chairman of the Board of Supervisors one year ; Side Supervisor two years, and member of the School Board for a number of years. Republican ; member of the Methodist Church.

Passage source: The History of Rock County, Wisconsin; Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., published 1879.

WIIjIjIAM G. WELiLS, farmer. Sec. 34 ; P. 0. Clinton; born in Farmington, Ontario Co., N. Y., Jan. 13, 1824 ; son of Joseph Wells. The family were originally from Berkshire Co., Mass., and settled in New York in 1794, on the Phelps and Gorham purchase - it was a wilderness at that time. Mr. Wm. Wells' grandfather, on mother's side, was a brave soldier in the Revolutionary war, and grandfather, on father's side, was a member of the King's Body Life Guard, in England ; William's father, Joseph, died in April, 1849, aged 70 years ; he was a prominent Royal Arch Mason. William started out for himself Oct. 18, 1 844, came to Milwaukee and then went to McHenry Co., 111. ; was there most of the time till spring of 1853 ; then moved to Bradford, Rock Co., Wis., and settled on 480 acres; in 1864, moved to Sec. 34, Bradford ; now has a fine farm of 187 acres. He has a fine creamery ; churns 600 to 700 pounds of milk at a time ; his butter, which is of the best, finds ready market ; he has also one of the finest springs in the county ; water is pumped up into the house by hydraulic pressure. Mr. Wells married, in March 15, 1854, Betsy Wilkins, daughter of John Wilkins, of New Jersey ; have had eight children - Joseph B., Charles, Frank, Mehitabel, Ralph, Wm. G., Jr., Lois Aletha ; Loren died in infancy. Mr. Wells was Assessor eight years.

Passage source: The History of Rock County, Wisconsin; Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc., published 1879.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Bradford Town - 14,060 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.