Elba Town

Elba Town

JOHX S. BKAN, farmer, Sec. 14; P.O. Danville; was born in Merrimac Co., N. H., in February, ls:;it ; he came to Elba Township in March, 1861. He enli.sted, Oct. 23 of that year, in Co. D, 16th W.V. I. ; he \^as severely wounded in the arm at the battle of Shiloh ; he then, being disabled forduty in the field, engaged in the recruiting service, afterward as Clerk of Court Martial, and in Commissary Department; joined his company in October, 1863; Dec. 23, 1864, he was discharged and mustered into service as Second Lieutenant of 47th U. S. Colored Inf ; was promoted to First Lieutenant Nov. 11,1 865 ; was discharged Jan. 4, 1866. Mr. Bean was married, Oct. 26, 1864, to Ellen C. Eastman, born in New Hampshire, December, 1839 ; they have two children - Mabel O. B., and Jennie M. Bought present farm Oct. 20, 1866; he has 120 acres of land. He has been Assessor of Elba Township three terms, Justice of the Peace four terms, and Town Clerk two terms.

JOHST C. BRAINERD, farmer, Section 21 ; P. 0. DanvUle ; was born in Middlesex Co., Conn., in 1810; his fauher, Calvin Brainerd, removed to Monroe Co., N. Y., in 1823, where he died, about 1860, at the age of 84 years. Mr. Brainerd was married to Mary Pease, of Monroe Co., N. Y. ; he resided in Western New York till 1854, when he removed to Dodge Co., and settled in Elba Township, on the section where he now lives. He engaged in teaching many winters, following the occupation of farming the remainder of the year ; he has also been an earnest laborer in the cause of the Christian religion since his earliest manhood, and as a minister of the Gospel, has labored, both by precept and example, to make men better. He has three children - John C. ; Mary, now Mrs. Wm. Flynn ; and William P.; lost first three children.

DA^IEl.. BRLIEC'HKR, farmer, Sec. 26; P.O. Danville; was born in Prussia in 1824; he came to this country with his parents, Daniel and Elisabeth Bruecher ; his father entered 160 acres of land in Elba Township, eighty of which is included in the farm of his son Daniel ; his parents had eight children, seven of whom are living, four of whom are residents of Dodge Co., two of Columbia Co. and one of Minnesota. His father died Nov. 1, 1857. He was married to Barbary King, whose parents came to this country from Germany in 1853 ; they have seven children - Louisa, Josephine, William, Edward, Elizabeth, Daniel and Charles. Mr. Bruecher has been a member of the Board of Supervisors of Dodge Co. for thirteen vears.

MILE!^ BURNHAlfl, farmer, Sec. 21 ; P. O. Danville; was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., in March, 1822 ; he came to Dodge Co. in October, 1844, and entered forty acres of land, where the village of Danville now stands ; he was accompanied by his cousin, Morris Burnham and Samuel Hasey ; these gentlemen were the fir.st residents of what is now Elba Township ; during this autumn, Mr. Burnham and his cousin engaged to construct a dam and saw-mill at Danville for Mr. Lawton Carrier ; but they purchased the property before the completion of the work. Mr. Burham was married to Caroline Johnson, daughter of Charles Johnson, who came from Racine to Elba Township in 1345 ; has three children - Melissa (now Mrs. John C. Brainerd), George and Matie, all residing at Blooming Prairie, Minn. Mr. B. was the first Township Clerk of Elba Township ; has been Justice of the Peace since 1852, except one year; served a term as member of the County Board of Supervisors; was elected to the Legislature in 1866. Mr. Burnham has the honor of being the oldest settler of Elba Township; the respect and confidence in which he is held by his fellow- citizens is indicated by the many places of public trust which he has held.

PATRICK BLTRRELL,, farmer, Sec. 29 ; P. 0. Danville ; was bom in Ireland about 1822 ; he came to the United States in 1847 | lived in Herkimer Co., N. Y., about three years ; came to Dodge

Co. and s -ttled in Elba Township in 1851 ; settled on his present farm in 1853. He married Mary Duffy, who was born in Ireland; have had nine children, only two living - -Mary Ellon and Jane. His farm conkuns 256 acres. He and his family belon<; to the Catholic Church.

B, F. COOPER, farmer, Sec. Tt ; P. 0. Danville ; born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Sept. 4, 1822; he was the son of John and A. Cooper, natives of New Ensjland, and remived to Cleveland, Ohio, fr im the State of New York, about 1839; thence to Michigan, where his father died; Mr. B. F. Cooper left home when 20 years of age, and has resided in Wisconsin most of the time since; he came to Column bus in the fall of 1843, He married, Oct. 31, 1818, Adeline Hawl'^y, born in Albany, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1827 ; her father was Col. Samuel Hawley, a soldier uf the war of 1812 ; he came to Jefferson Co.. Wis., in 1845, where he died in 1856; Mr. Cooper settled on the farm he now owns in May, 1849; has five children - Ella and Pollen (twins), born June 15, 1850; Fred. Sept. 27, 1857; Cora, Aug. 27, 1863; Fra'ik, Dec. 16, 1868; lost one son - Isaac B., born June 16, 1 -!56, died March 26, 1862. Mr. Cooper has ninety-five acres of land. He and wife are membars of Olivjt Congregational Church, Columbus.

JOHW CROOKE, farmer. Sec. 29 ; P. 0. Columbus ; was born in County Dublin, Ireland, about 1825 ; he came to the United States in 1843; he Uved in Essex Co., N. Y., for about five years, and came to Columbus, Wis., in the fall of 1818 ; located on his present firm of 160 acres in 1860. He married Ellen Lavery, born in County Limerick, Ireland.

REV. THOMAS DEJIPSEY, Pastor of St. ColumbkiU's Church; P.O. Danville; Father Dempsey was born in Clynian Township, Dodge Co., in 1859 ; he was educated at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee; was ordained priest June 10, 1876 ; had charge for some time of St. James' and St. Jolin's Churches in Pond du Lac Co.; assumed present charge September, 1879 ; ofiiciates also as Pastor of St. John's Church, Lowell Township.

JOHiV S. <irRACE, teacher and farmer. Sec. 17 ; P. O. Columbus ; was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1847 ; he came to the United States in 1866, and has lived in Dodge Co. since that time ; he came to this country a poor boy ; by application and perseverance he hits qualified himself for the profession of teaching, in which he is very successful. He was married in 1878 to Miss Nora Devine, whose father was an early settler of Trenton Township ; they have one child - Mary Gr., born Nov. 20, 1879.

JOB W. "HARTLEY^, farmer, Sec. 24; P.O. Danville; born in the Province of New Brunswick in 1822 ; his father removed to the town of Malahide, Ontario, when he was about 6 years of age ; he went to Michigan in 1840; in 1844, he went to Illinois, where ho lived about one year ; thence to Northern Wisconsin, where he pissed three years in the pine region. He was married in September, 1847, to Elizabeth Finch, of Ontario ; came immediately thereafter to Dodge Co., and located on his present farm in March, 1848; Mr. Hartley has five children - Marian A. (now Mrs. H. E. Luther, resides in Denver, Colo.), Hualpi A. (mirried Miss Almeda J. Johnson), Susan L., Tolbert B. and Lewis E. Mr. Hartley has been a cuccessful farmer; owns 600 acres of land ; at one time owned about 1,000 acres in Elba Township. Has been Chairman of the Town Board for several years. Road Overseer for seven years, and Schodl Clerk for seven years.

MICHAEL KELLEY, farmer ,Sec. 24 ; P. O. Reeseville ; was born in County Kings, Ireland, \n 1806; came to this country in June, 1834; lived in Oneida Co., N. Y., about eight years; thence to Chautauqua Co. for five years; came to Dodge Co. and settled on his present farm in June, 1817. He was married to Julia Durken ; they have had fourteen children, ten of whom are living. Mr. Kelley has been one of the successful farmers of Elba Township ; he has about 500 acres of land ; has been Clerk of his School District for thirteen years.

JACOB L.AWR"BXCE, farmer. Sec. 27; P. 0. Danville; was born in Wa.shington Co., N. Y., Feb. 10, 1810; he went to Detroit, Mich., in 1835; returned to Saratoga Co., N. Y., the following year; in 1837, he returned to Detroit; in the fall of 1840, removed to Jefferson Co., Wis.; in May, 1846, c.ime to Dodge Co., and settled on the farm where he now resides. He was married to Caroline Hathaway, whose parents settled in Jefferson Co., Wis., from Michigan, in 1840; they have five children - Elizabeth ; Charles, married Miss Mary Smeaden, resides at the homestead, have one child, Lela ; Martin, resides in California ; Lodovine and Chloe.

FREDERICK. L1JETH, miller, Danville; was born in Germany in 1837; came to the United States with his father, Christopher Lueth, in 1846, who now lives in Lansing, Iowa. Mr. Frederick Lueth lived in Columbus till 1876, when he purchased one-half interest in the flouring-mill at Danville, and where he DOW resides. He was married to Maria Liebing, born in Germany; they have six children - Charles, Albert, Edward, Annie, Samuel and Paul.

JOHIV MURPHY, farmer, See. 26; P. 0. Danville; was born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1822. He was married to Margaret Roche, who was born in County Wexford in 1818. Mr. Murphy came to the United States in 1849 ; lived in Utiea, N. Y., about two years; came to Dodge Co. in 18(i(j, and settled where he now lives. He has four children - John F., Grctta, Ileni-y and Susan ; lost one daughter, Mary A. His farm consists of seventy-six acres.

LKVIA A. RANIJALIj, blacksmith, Danville; was born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., in 1822; he lived in ditferent parts of the State of New York till 1850, when lie came to ^\'isconsin ; he lived in Fond du Lac Co. until the fall of 1852, when he came to Elba Township, where lie has since resided. He was married to Maria Lindsley, whose parents settled in Fond du Lac Co. in 1849. They have six children - Lucius, Eugene, George, Charles, Adelaide and Walter. Lucius is engaged in the grocery business at Columbus ; Eugene and George reside in Elba Township ; Charles is a printer by trade, at Columbus; th(> other two children reside at home.

AUGUST RI<:i>l>ElIAX, farmer, Sec. 21 ; P. 0. Danville; born in Germany in 18.36 ; he came to the United States with his parents, John and Sopliia lleddi'raan, in the fall of 1857, and settled in the township of Shields, Dodge Co.; in 1864, his father removed to the town of Leeds, Columbia Co., where his mother died; his father died at the house of his son, in October, 1879. He was married to Louisa Pautzlaff, a native of Germany; she came to this country in 1856, in company with her sister Wilhelmena, who died in 1861 ; her father died in Germany ; her mother and five children were lost on the steamer Austria, on the passage to this country, Sept. 13, 1858. Mr. Reddeman has three children - Matilda, Heimina and August; lost one child, Herman. He settled on his present farm in 1876; in 1877, he purchased a half-interest in the flouring-mill at Danville, of John Roberts ; his farm contains 180 acres. He has bei^n President of the Elba Mutual Insurance Co. since Jaimary 1, 1878.

PATRICK ROCHE, firmer. Sec. 23 ; P. 0. Danville ; was born in County VVexti)rd, Ireland, in 1821 ; he came to this country, with his father. Robert Roche, in 1849 ; they lived in Utica, N. Y.. about two and one-half years; thence to Fox Lake Township, Dodge Co., in the fidl of 1851 ; Mr. Roche purcha.sed his present farm in 1852. He was married to Honora Flynn in 1854; they have four sons and five daughters; his farm contains 210 acres; Mr. Roche was elected to the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, in 184(!, and served one term ; has also served two terms as Supervisor of Elba Township.

MATTHEW STOXE, farmer, See. .30 ; P. 0. Columbus; was born in County Middlesex, England, in 1807. He was married to Sarah Greenhill ; emigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1832 ; in 1850, removed to Columbus, Wis , where he worked at his trade, that of saddler and harness-maker, for about two years ; Mr. Stone served an apprenticeship at his trade in London, England, six years, after which he conducted the business himself, in London, for several years ; he purchased his present farm of 220 acres in the spring of 1853 ; in 1868, Mr. Stone sold his farm, when he and wife visited their native land, returning in the spring of 1869, to Ja.sper Co., Iowa, where they remained about a year and a half, then removed to Columbus, Wis., but re-purchased their farm in 1875, where they now reside; they have eight children - -Sarah, Matthew G., Hannah, Agnes, Jo.seph H., Marshal F., Mary, and John W.

MRS. SUSAN SWEET, widow of Dodge Sweet, Sec. 35; P. 0. Danville; Mr. Dodge Sweet was born in August, 1823; in 1844, he came to Jefferson Co., Wis., from Ohio, with his parents, J. T. and Esther Sweet; came to Elba Township about 1846 ; his parents are now residents of Columbus, Wis.; Mrs. Sweet, formerly Jliss Su'-^an Crawford, was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, in 1831 ; her parents, James and Phcebe Crawford, came to Jefl'erson Co., Wis., from Ohio, in 1847 ; they now reside in Fayette Co., Iowa. She was married to Mr. Sweet Aug. 6, 1848 ; settled cjii the farm where the family now reside, in 1849 ; Mr. Sweet died Sept. 1, 1861 ; Mrs. Sweet has had five children, four of whom are living - Elbert P., born Aug. 15, 1849 ; Jennie, born Feb. 24, 1851 ; Arwid, born March 28, 1853, and Elmer J., born June 8, 1858 ; lost one son. Dodge, born in 1861. died in 1863 ; farm contains 80 acres.

ODEY W. TRAYNOR, farmer, Sec. 20; P.O.Columbus; son of Philip Trayuor, who came from Ireland to Dodge Co., Wis., June 1, 1849, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his .sons; he died in the fall of 1875 ; O. W. Traynor was born in County Kildare, Ireland, in 1838 ; his parents had eleven children, seven of whom are living ; Odey, Michael, Philip and their youngest sister, Lizzie, reside on the homestead. Their farm contains 175 acres of land, with good improvements. O. W. entered the army in 1863, as Second Lieutenant in the 4th Iowa V. C. ; was promoted to a first lieutenancy in 1865; served till June, 1866. He was City Treasurer of the city of Columbus for two years, and County Treasurer of Dodge Co. for the years 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878. His brothers Michael and Philip were also in the Union army during the rebellion; Michael enlisted in 1861, and served until the close of the war; James entered the service with his brother Odey W., and died in 1866, of disease contracted in the army.

JAMES WEKSTER, proprietor of Elba Center Stock Farm and stock-raiser, Sec. 16 ; P. 0. Danville; was born in Oneida Co., N. i'.. May 1, 1814, where he lived until he was 20 years of age.

when he went to Hartford, Conn., where he lived four years, and learned the trade of brickmaking, which business he followed for about sixteen years ; he returned to Oneida Co. and engaged in the manufiicture of brick ; also kept hotel near Rome for about two years. He was married, in 1837, to Maria Peetman, born in Montgomery Co.; they came to Oakland, Jefferson Co., Wis., in November, 18-13. In 1845, Mr. Webster purchased a farm of ninety-six acres in Lowell Town.ship, also forty acres in Elba Township, Dodge Co., and located on the forty acres in the fall of that year; he purchased his present farm in the spring of 1851, where he located in the fall of that year ; his flirm contains over four hundred acres. Mr. Webster is numbered among those early settlers of Dodge Co. who began life poor, but by hard work, economy and good management, have secured an independence. He deals quite extensively in thoroughbred stock, making a specialty of Spanish Merino sheep and short-horn cattle. Has bad seven children, three of whom are living - Jennie (now Mrs. A. M. Watson, of La Crosse), Samuel R. (married Miss Hattie Chamberlain, of Kilbourno City) and John P. ; has lost four sons - Henry, Spencer and Chester H. ; another died in infancy. Mr. Webster was President of the Elba Farmers' Insurance Company for three years ; is now President of Columbus Union Agricultural Society. He is a Republican in politics ; he and wife are members of the Congregational Church.

EDWARD J. WIIiLIAMS, farmer, Sec. U; P. O. Danville; was born in Rome, Oneida Co., N. Y., Aug. 15, 1819. His father, John W. Williams, was also a native of Oneida Co., his grandfather, John Williams, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and two brothers - Solomon and David Williams, having settled there in about 1780 ; his father removed to St. Lawrence Co., thence to Ohio, thence to Michigan, where he died Aug. 13, 1847 ; Mr. Williams came to Dodge Co. from Cleveland, Ohio, May I, I84G, and entered eighty acres of the farm where he now resides; in early life, he was engaged in the woolen manufacturing business : he dates his farming experience from the time he settled on his present farm ; he came to the county poor ; when he had paid the entrance fee of his first eighty acres of land, he had but 50 cents remaining; his farm now contains 184 acres ; his improvements are among the very best in the township. He has held various offices during his long residence in the county; was elected to the Legislature in the fall of 1857; was Highway Commissioner for 1848 ; Town Clerk about 1849 ; was Justice of the Peace for ten years ; Assessor of the Township for five years ; was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the years 1845, 1846 and 1847 ; has been Secretary of the Elba Mutual Insurance Company for the past three years. He was married in 1843 to Lucia P. Howe, who was born in Vermont ; she died Aug. 5, 1847 ; his present wife was Mrs. Mary J. Ensign, formerly Miss Johnson, born in Hamilton Co., Ohio ; Mr. Williams has three children by his former marriage - John W., E. E. and Helen M. Mrs. Williams has one daughter by her former marriage - Mrs. Arabella Ensign Pease.