Beaver Dam City (part 3 of 3)

ANTON SEIFERT, proprietor of the Milwaukee House, Beaver Dam ; born in Bohemia Jan. 7, 1841 ; came to x\meriea in 1869, locating in 31ilwaukee and was employed in New Hall House until 1873, when he came to Beaver Dam, where he and a partner bought the Washington House and changed the name to that borne at present; in 1877, he bought out his partner's interest, since which time he has conducted the house alone; in 1878, he built an addition of 42x48 feet, two-stury brick, which gives, with the original building, accommodation for forty guests. He married, at Beaver Dam, April 22, 1875, Miss Maggie Snortz, a native of America.

M. SHAFER, general repairer of jewelry, Beaver Dam ; was born in Hamilton, Canada West, March 12, 1820, and came to Wisconsin in November, 1854, locating at Beaver Dam ; he worked for Mr. Kribs, jewelry, for five years, and afterward on his own account ; he is now in the general repair business. He is Justice of the Peace of the Fourth Ward. He married, Jan. 1, 1846, Catherine Ann Elderkin, of Toron.to ; has four children - Samuel J., Joel J. (editors of the Fhonograph at Colby, Wis.), Margaret and Dorathy. Mr. and Mrs. Shafer are members of the M. E. Church.

B. F. SHERMAN, firm of Sherman & Gowdey, editors of the Beaver Dam Argus; was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 30, 1836, and came to Wisconsin in April, 1857, locating in Beaver Dam. Mr. Sherman learned his trade of printer with L. B. McCracken, publisher of the Washtenaw Whig, after which he worked as a journeyman on the following newspapers: The Michigan Argus, Dodge Countj/ Citizen, Milwaukee Xcus, Madison Argus and the Beaver Dam Argus ; in connection with Mr. D. C. Gowdey, he bought the Beaver Dam Argus ; they have published the same up to the present writing. In the fall of 1864, Mr. Sherman was elected Alderman of the First Ward, to fill a vacancy, and has been elected each succeeding year up to the present time; in 1871, be was fleeted City Treasurer; he is also a member of the Board of Supervisors, and now represents his district in the State Legislature. He married, Aug. 8, 1859, Martha Shuart, of Ramapo, Rockland Co., N. Y.; he has four children - William Henry, Mary Catherine, Albert and Arthur.

E. P. SMITH, lawyer, Beaver Dam ; was born in Burlington, Vt., Feb. 18, 1827, and came to Wisconsin in May, 1848, locating in Milwaukee. From Burlington he moved to Waterford, N. Y., where he commenced his education at Prof. Taylor Lewis' Academy; from there he went to the University of Vermont, and, in 1847, completed his collegiate course at the Union College, Schenectady, N. V.; from Waterford he moved to Milwaukee and completed his law studies in the law office of Finch & Lynde ; in October, 1849, he moved to Beaver Dam and practiced law until 1872, when he established his headquarters at Milwaukee, where he has a large practice. Mr. Smith was the second Mayor of Beaver Dam ; was again Mayor of the city in 1856, and was afterward elected for a partial term ; in 1858, he was City Attorney for two terms, and from 1855 to 1872, he was U. S. Court Commissioner for. the District of Wisconsin. Mr. Smith married, Oct. 23, 1SC2, Agnes Hargrave, of Montreal ; he has two children living - Agnes and Edwards.

J. T. SMITH, woolen manufacturer, Beaver Dam; was born in Brookhaven, Suffolk Co., N. Y., Oct. 7, 1848, and came to Wisconsin in August, 1862, locating at Beaver Dam; received his early education at the Fergusonville Academy, in Delaware Co., N. Y., and completed the same at Union College, Schenectady ; he then went to Markesan, Green Lake Co., where for eight years he engaged in general merchandising under the firm name of J. T. Smith & Co.; he then moved to Beaver Dam, where he purchased an interest in in the Beaver Dam Woolen-Mills, in which business he is now engaged. Mr. Smith was School Director for several years and also Village Trustee of Markesan ; he was Mayor of Beaver Dam in 1876. Mr. Smith married, March 26, 1872, Emma A Gentil, of Prairie du Chien, Wis.; he has two children living - Edith Susan and Amelia Treadwell. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Episcopal Church at Beaver Dam.

M. E. STEVENS, retired, Beaver Dam; was born in Westfield, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., Nov. 18, 1819, and came to Wisconsin in January, 1846, locating in the town of Trenton, where he engaged in farming, his farm consisting of 400 acres of land ; he then moved to Beaver Dam and engaged in farming 476 acres of land, which farm he still retains. In Trenton Township, he was Assessor for one year. He married, Dec. 15, 1845, Mary Rodgers, of Westfield, N. Y., who died in 1854. He again married, March 10, 1856, Ann D. Shaw, of Cayuga Co., N. Y.; he has one child living^Elma. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are members of the First Presbyterian Church at Beaver Dam.

GITSTAVUS STOLZ, general store, Beaver Dam; was born in Bohemia Nov. 22, 1827, and came to Wisconsin in the spring of 1854, locating in Watertown. Mr. Stolz received a mercantile education in Bohemia and then traveled as salesman for a wholesale vinegar factory; he was also special agent for the Nuremburg Toy Manuflictory of Bavaria ; in May, 1854, he went to Watertown as clerk until 1855, when he came to Beaver Dam, where he opened a general store, in connection with Mr. Beichel, under the firm name of Stolz & Beichel, which he continued for three years ; he then opened a restaurant, which he continued for twelve years ; in 1870, he started a grocery store in connection with the restaurant ; he then sold out the restaurant and has continued the general store business on his own account up to the present writing with remarkable success. In 1858, he was Alderman of the First Ward, and has held this office, with a slight intermission, for the past fifteen years, now representing the Second Ward; he is also one of the Board of the Second Ward ; in 1871, he was appointed Notary Public and still holds the same. Mr. Stolz is agent for the following insurance companies : Phoenix, of Hartford ; Orient, of Hartford; Traders', of Chicago ; Commonwealth of Boston ; Milwaukee Mechanics'; and Germania Life, of New York. He is also agent for the following lines of ocean steamers : American Red Star Line, Philadelphia ; White Star Line. Hamburg American Packet Co., North German-Lloyd, Inman, State Line, National Line and Guyon Line.. Married, Dec. 26, 1855, Emiley Hamf, of Pru.ssia ; he has six children - Otto, Emma, Martha, Ella, Ernst and Erma.

DR. GEORfjrE E. S WAN, Beaver Dam ; fourth son of Alfred and Polly Swan, was born April 6, 1838, in Eden, Erie Co., N. Y. ; his mother was the daughter of Trowbridge Benedict, the sixth generation of Thomas Benedict, born in 1617, in Nottingham.shire, Eng. , the extensive printed genealogy of whose family contains many perilous of note, and the Doctor holds it with much reverence ; when 5 months old, his parents moved with him to Greenfield, Ohio ; at 11 years of age, he took the first prize in a class of 100, for a composition, entitled "The Vices of Youth ;" from 13 to 17 years of age, his time was spent in the backwoods of Michigan, seven miles from Howell, doing fiirm work ; he then became inspired wiih the thought of obtaining an education, and, his father being unable to accede to the idea, he avowed independence, and left home in the fall of 1855 ; so the Doctor is truly a self-made man ; he at first lived with a Free- Will Baptist preacher (Elder Norton), on the banks of Bath Lake. Michigan; in the woods avrain, attended winter country school, and studied geography and grammar for the first time ; in the spring, he went to Dale, N. Y., among his father's relatives, and in the fell attended a course at the Wyoming Academy, under Prof. Weed; passed examination, and tauL'ht school two miles west of Warsaw during the winter; he then worked at farming until the fall of 1857, when he commenced attending Hillsdale College, Mich., which he continued three years, teaching winters in the country, and working at eornhu.-king, digging stumps, hoeing gardens, etc., on days of school vacation, much of this time boarding himself on oO to 5t) cents per week, living on bread and butter, and potatoes and salt, baking his potatoes on a box-stove under a pint basin ; he continued in this way three years, and by working in the wheat and hay fields each season, managed to keep in school pretty regularly two terms each year, until the fall of 18t)0 ; he saw tough times from the pincliings of poverty, but his desire fur an education impelled liim to face and surmount all obstacles, and, as his father was poor, with a femily of tea children, he had no other recourse ; his wages for teaching were only §15 to $M per month, and for days' work from 50 to 75 cents per day ; he had not a cent to pay for beer, whisky, tobacco, or other injurious practices, and had no inclination to do so, and the habits of temperance, economy and industry have ever since remained his best friends; during these years he pursued seven studies, frequently until 1! or 12 at night, commencing again at 4 or 5 in the morning, dreaming of them during sleep, and doing without sufficient food, because he could not afford it, and because he could the more rapidly commit his lessons; for his keen desire of an education, and such close application to get it, he in after years paid dearly, as a lethargy ensued, which continued for years, and prevented his again pursuing the collegiate course which he had .so fondly dreamed to finish. In the fall of 1860, he went to his uncle - Rev. W. S. Lunt - in Fremont, Ohio, and there taught the Union School one year; meantime, his prostration increased, so he could not apply himself to mental labors (except teaching winters) until 18613; he then ecftumenced the study of medicine, with Dr. Bagg, at Owasso, Mich., and, upon Iris removal, continued with Dr. E. A. Lodge, at Detroit; in the winter of 1864-65, attended medical lectures at Ann Arbor, Mi>^h., and practiced medicine the six months following at Novi, Mich., and with the earnings attended lectures the following winter, at the Homoeopathic College of New York City, receiving his diploma as a graduate Feb. 28, 1866 ; he then began practice at New Castle, Ind., until the fall of 1867, and then moved to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where, May 17, 1870, he married Miss Mary Woodbridge, whose father was one of the wealthiest merchants of the place ; in 1871, he sought a larger field, at South Bend, Ind., but the climate being such as to keep his wife constantly ill, he removed to the beautiful little city of Beaver Dam, and took the practice of Dr. Thurber May 10, 1876 ; here he had a practice of over $l>,000 the first year, and meantime perfected a remarkable specific for the cure of female weakness, which proved so effective, and its demand became so extensive, that he had no time to devote to the further regular practice of his profession, and has now, in 1870, a cat.h scle of this medicine, called pastries, of between 8,000 and 4,000 boxes per month, with 1,600 lady agents, in all [)arts of the United States ; he has one child, Geo. Benedict, born June 4, 1878. On June 2, 1879, while looking about for a pasture fur his cow, the Doctor inspected the .spring from the stream of which the cow had been drinking in a lot below ; he discovered that the water was decidedly alkaline by taste and touch, and delighiful as a beverage; the same morning he purchased the spring of A. Shipman, including about two acres of land, for $250, and, on further simple tests of the water, felt justified in additional purchases of land adjoining, so that in a few weeks he was in possession of .seventeen acres ; on July 28, he sent two gallons of water from the spring to Gustavus Bode, Chemist, of Milwaukee, for analy.sis, and, on August 12, received the result of the analysis, in which the Professor declares the water to be the same and fully equal to the far famed water of Waukesha ; at this writing, in September, the work of improving the spring and grounds is being vigorously pushed, and, in the season of 1880, the Doctor will have a charming mineral spring and park; he is a public-spirited citizen, and will, no doubt, be the means of making Beaver Dam a widely known and well-patronized place for summer visitors. Prof Bode's statement in regard to the water is as follows :

You will notice that six-?evenlh8 part of the salts contained in this water consists of the bicarbonate of Lime and .Magnesia. The water resembles in this respect very much, in fact, seems to be the same, as the well-known waters of

AVaukesha, whose effectiveness is to be attributed to the almost total absence of Chlorides and 8ulpliates, and, so far as I can judge from my analysis, I have no doubt tliat you will find the water of your spring in every particular equal to theirs. Yours respectfully,

1829, and came to M^isconsin in the fall of 1855, locating at Fall River, Columbia Co.; from Virginia, he moved to Greene Co., Ohio ; lie received his literary education at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, and graduated at the Ohio Medical College in 1853 ; he then moved to Lumberton, Ohio, and f ugaged in the practice of medicine for two years, and from there to Fall River, where he practiced up to 1875 ; he then went to Beaver Dam ; has practiced medicine there since. In 1858, he was Superintendent of Schools in Columbia Co., and, in 1864, was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, of the same county. Was commissioned Surgeon in the army in May, 1863, and assigned to the 14th W. V. I., which position he resigned in 1864. He married. May 5, 1858, Aztalan F. Brayton, of Aztalan, Wis.; he has_ five children living - John A., Luella, George A., Willie B. and Elmer B. Mrs. Talbert is a member of the M. E. Church at Beaver Dam.

B. THORP, manufacturer of brick, Beaver Dam ; was born in Molton, England, May 27, 1816, and came to Wisconsin in June, 184!), locating at Watertown ; he was engaged in farming in England; at Castleton, N. Y., he worked in a brickyard for three years; in Watertown he was a general workman, digging and drilling wells, lathing houses, etc. July 3, 1855, he came to Beaver Dam, and for about eleven years drove a dray, after which he engaged in the manufacture of brick, which business he is still carrying on. In 1873, ho was Alderman of the Fourth Ward; in 1878, he was again elected Alderman of that ward for two years. He married. May 14, 1840, Mary Ann Hutchinson, of England; he has five children - Henry, Sarah, Charles, Judson and Mary.

TABOR THURSTON, farmer. Sec. 7 ; P. 0. Beaver Dam ; is a son of Samuel and Sarah Thurston, now of the town of Calamus ; born in Rensselaer Co., N. Y., May 5, 1846 ; when he was about 1 year old, his parent- emigrated to Wisconsin, and settled at Watertown for three years; in 1850, they removed to the town of Calamus, Dodge Co., and settled on a farm of 160 acres, where Tabor made his home till his marriage to Miss Margaret A., daughter of Evan and Elizabeth Evans, of Beaver Dam, in the spring of 1863, since which time he has lived in the town of Beaver Dam. In the fall of 1878, he bought a farm of eighty acres, forty in Section 7, town of Beaver Dam, and forty in Section 12, town of Calamus, which is now his home ; they have three children - Frankie, William, and an infant not named ; they are members of the Baptist Church of Beaver Dam,

FRED M. VAN BERGEN, general store, Beaver Dam; was born in Madison, Wis., Dec. 15, 1850, where he received his early education ; after which he engaged as clerk at diflerent times with the following firms of that place: R. L. Garlick, crockery ; Huntley & Wooten, groceries, and M. L. Daggett & Son, groceries ; then kept books for the Madison Democrat ; he then went to Clayton, Wis., and kept books for Humbird, Rogers & Co., millers, lumbermen and general store; in March, 1877, be came to Beaver Dam and engaged in business with Mr. Lawrence in the grocery department, under the firm name of A. P. Lawrence & Co., and, in September of the same year, Mr. Rees Evans bought Mr. Lawrence's interest, and the business has been conducted up to the present writing under the firm name of Evans & Van Bergen ; their store is situated on Front street, corner of Center, where they are meeting with pleasing and profitable success. Mr. Van Bergen married, July 20, 1876, Annie Evans, of Beaver Dam ; he has one child - Morsran E.

WIL.L.IAM E. WADL,EIGH, farmer; P. 0. Beaver Dam ; was born in Lower Canada in 1830 ; spent his early life with his father, Mathias Wadleigh, on a farm in his native county ; in 1847, he went to .Manchester, N. H., where he followed the machinist's trade for two years ; after which, in the same place, he followed various kinds of labor for seven years; in 1856, with his family, he emigrated to Dodge Co., Wis., and settled at Beaver Dam ; three years after, he removed to the town of Trenton, Dodge Co., and lived there on a farm for seven years ; in 1866, he returned to Beaver Dam and bought a farm of ninety acres in Sec. 12, within the city limits, and has since made this his home. Sept. 20, 1852, he married Miss Sophia, daughter of Hiram and Sarah Stevens, of Chatham, N. H.; they have bad seven children - Emily, Celestia (deceased), William (deceased), Albert, William, Jr., John and Lillie. The family is connected with the Assembly Presbyterian Church.

ANDREW WIL,L,ARD, retired, Beaver Dam; born in Buifalo, N. Y., June 23,1825; came to Wisconsin, May, 1841. and located at Waterford, Racine Co. ; in 1847, moved to Watertown; engaged in the manufacture of brick, and made the first white brick made at that place ; in 1855, came to Beaver Dam, carried on same business for three or four years; in 1859, with Mr. Newton, opened a meroantilo bnsinoss which he continued until 1865, when, after first buying out his associate, he silil out and purchased two farms; in the fall of 18G5 was elected to the State Legislature; in 1866, he built a store building and, with Mr. Vanderoook in 18(i7, opened a general mercantile establishment, which continued until 1871 : has been County Commissioner; was member of City Council six or seven years; he is member of the I. 0. 0. P., also of Grand Lodge, and has been one of the Directors of the Odd Fellows' Insurance Company for eight years. Vice President, four years ; is one of the Directors of the Red Kibbon Club, and is a member of the Good Templars. Married at Watertbwn, Wis., Nov. 23, 1850, Miss Jane M. Temple, a native of Massachusetts ; has a family of three children - David, Rosa M. and Jennie.

J<»IIN J. WILLIAMS, was born in the town of Nelson, Madison Co., N. Y., July 28, 1820, and in 1837 removed, with his parents, to Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, where he remained at home on a farm until 21 years of age ; on attaining his majority he commenced life on his own account, with no capital except energy, honesty and industry ; he hired out to work in a woolen mill at .§8 per month, following that business for three years ; then engaged in traveling through Ohio and Michigan with a wholesale Yankee notion wagon, and afterward clerk in a general store for North & Alcott, Medina, Ohio ; in 1849 , he came to Wisconsin and opened a general store at Lowell, Dodge Co., and continued in that busine.ss for fifteen years. In 184(>, Mr. Williams married Miss Adaline Weed at Medina ; she was born in New York City; two ofher sisters married Wisconsin men - one. Dr. Miller, of Lowell, Dodge Co., the other, the late Geo. B. Smith, of Madison ; during his residence at Lowell, Mr. Williams was Postmaster several years ; was a member of the Legislature in the years 1857 and 18l)l ; in the spring of 1864-, he removed to the city of Beaver Dam, where he has since resided ; he was Collector of Internal Revenue for the Fourth District of Wisconsin from 1SC7 to 1872, and was President of the National Bank of Beaver Dam from 1865, which position he now holds. Mr. Williams is now 59 years of age and is not engaged in active business except to increa.se the affairs of the bank and take care of his ample fortune. He has a pleasant an 1 attractive home in Beaver Dam and, with his estimable wife, is reaping the fruits of an honest, industrious and useful life, enjoying the respect and confidence of his neighbors.

a. J. WAKREX, harness maker ; was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Nov. 19, 1819, and came to Wisconsin May 12, 1846, locating in Burnett; his business career commenced in Castile, Wyoming Co., N. Y., where he carried on the harness business for two years, after which he moved to Burnett where, for nineteen years, he was engaged in farming 140 acres of land ; in 1865, he came to Beaver Dam and bought 107 acres of land in Trenton, which he farmed for ten years ; he then bought out the harness business of John Clark and has continued in that business up to the present writing. Mr. Warren was Justice of the Peace of Waupun for two years; in 1879, he was elected Alderman for the Fourth Ward. He married, Sept. 22, 1842, Lorinda M. Fuller, of Warsaw, N. Y. ; he has one child living - Frank.

O. F. WEAVER, photographer; was born in Cambria, Hillsdale Co., Mich., Feb. 5, 1840, and came to Wisconsin May 8, 1879, locating at Beaver Dam ; Mr. Weaver learned his trade with Mr. E. L. Brand, the celebrated photographer of Chicago; in 1867, he commenced busine?s on his own account at 337 W. Madison street, and continued until 1879, when he moved to Beaver Dam where he has the finest photographic parlors, and is said to be the best artist, in the county. He enlisted in 1861 in Co. E, 4th Mich. V. I.. Col. Dwigtit A. Woodbury, and has been in the following battles; First Bull Run, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg, the seven days' battles in Virginia, Chanoellorsville and Fredericksburg ; he was was wounded slightly in the head at the battle of Fredericksburg ; he received his discharge Oct. 27, 1863. Mr. Weaver married, Feb. 28, 1867, Annie Ryan, of Ireland ; he has two children - Ray and Eddie. Mrs. Weaver is a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church at Beaver Dam.

E. B. "WKSttERT, harness-maker, Beaver Dam; was born in Germany Nov. 5, 1844, and came to Wisconsin in November, 18t)5, locating in La Crosse; he received his early education in Germany, and served his apprenticeship with Otto Ohler, of La Crosse; in the spring of 1869, he came to Beaver Dam, and worked as journeyman with Mr. John Clark ; afterward at Rio, a short time, and returned to Beaver Dam, and again worked for Mr. Clark ; in 1870, he started the harness business on bis own account, and has continued the same up to the present writing. He was married, Jan. 2. 1874, to Miss Annie Weimer, of Westford, Dodge Co., Wis. ; he has two children living - Cecelia and Paulina. Mr. and Mrs. Wii^ert are members of the Catholic Church.

REV. \ATHAN E. wood. Principal of the Wayland Institute, Beaver Dam; was born in Fonstville, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., June 6, 1849, and came to Wisconsin in 1853, locating at Wyocena ; he removed to Wyocena from Forestville and assisted his father on the fiirm until the fall of 1866, when he went to the Wayland Institute to prepare for college; from there he went to the Chicago University, graduating in 1872, and then to the Baptist Union Theological Seminary, of Chicago, graduating in 1875 ; he then became Pastor of the Centennial Baptist Church, of Chicago, which he organized, and through whose instrumentality this church wns built, and succeeded in two years in enlarging its membership to over two hundred persons, and its Sunday school to about four hundred and fifty pupils ; he then went to Beaver Dam in June, 1877, and took charge of the Wayland Institute as Principal, which position he now holds. Mr. Wood married, June 27, 1873, Alice R. Boyce, of Chicago; he has three children living - Nathan R., Reuben S. and Sarah G. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are members of the Baptist rihurch at Beaver Dam.

JOHN C ZANDER, merchant, Beaver Dam ; was born in Germany Jan. 2.'^, 1843 ; came to Wisconsin in the latter part of September, 1855, locating in Watertown, where he commenced working on a farm ; in 1858, he came to Beaver Dam and clerked for Krueger & Lehrkind for eleven years ; in the spring of 1870, he started a general store on his own account; in the fall of 1870, he entered into partnership with Mr. Sherman, under the firm name of Sherman & Zander, which continued up to the spring of 187!), when Mr. Zander took entire charge of the business, which he is now carrying on successfully. Mr. Zander is essentially a self-made man. In 187(3, he was Alderman of the Second Ward. He married. May 2, 18G7, Minna Ladwig, of Germany; he has three children - Agnes, Arthur and Olga.