Waushara County, Wisconsin Biographies

Waushara County Wisconsin
Biographies

Thomas E. Decker
Thomas E. Decker, one of the leading citizens of Waushara County, and a prominent business man of Hamilton, has been connected with the lumber interests of that village for twenty-eight years, and at the present time is engaged in various other lines, including merchandising and blacksmithing. He also deals in agricultural implements and has a wagon shop in connection with his blacksmith shop.
Mr. Decker is a native of New York, having been born in Jefferson County, in the town of Cape Vincent, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, on the 24th of April, 1846. His ancestors were of Irish and Holland extraction. His great-grandfather, Michael Decker, was a native of Holland, and came to America before the War for Independence, locating on the Hudson River, not far from New York City, where he lived for a short time, when he removed to near Concord, Mass., and while the British were destroying the stores at that place which had been collected by the colonists he received a gunshot would which caused his death. His family afterward returned to New York. His son, Michael Decker, the grandfather of our subjects, was born near New York City, and was a shoemaker by trade. He wedded Mary Scott and died at Cape Vincent, where he made his home for many years. During the war of 1812 he aided in the defense of Sackett's Harbor, while the British were trying to destroy the stores at that point. At the time of the French Revolution in 1837, his brother, Peter Decker, joined a company of filibusters, crossing the St. Lawrence River at Ogdensburg to Prescott, Canada, where they joined a force of French rebels. They were there besieged by the British forces, taking refuge in an old stone mill, where they were captured. Their leader was taken to Kingston and hanged, and the privates and noncommissioned officers were exiled to a penal colony on Van Dieman's land. There Peter Decker received a pardon, but never returned to this country. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a native of Ireland. With the intention of making his home in America, he embarked for Canada, but while crossing the ocean his death occurred. His family settled in the Province of Quebec and spent the greater part of their lives in Prescott.
James Decker, the father of our subject, was born in May, 1809, in Oneida County, N.Y., and made farming his principal occupation through life. He removed to Jefferson County, locating in Cape Vincent, where he was engaged in the butcher business for a short time, but subsequently farmed for some twelve years. In 1862 he came to Wisconsin and purchased 200 acres of land in Adams County, and settled on section 11, where he owns 250 acres of good farming land. He married Elizabeth Travis of Ireland, who during her infancy was taken by her parents to Brockville, Canada, where she made her home until her marriage.
Thomas E. Decker is the oldest of a family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters. His boyhood days were spent in the town of Cape Vincent, where he obtained a liberal education in the English branches. In 1860 he emigrated with his parents to Adams County, Wis., and assisted his father on the farm until 1862, when he came to Waushara County, which has since been his home. He entered upon his business career as an employe of Hamilton Bros. & Smith, lumber manufacturers at Hamilton's Mills, for whom he worked until 1873, when Mr. Smith sold his property to his partners, Mr. Decker continuing with the Hamilton Bros. for twenty years, eighteen years of which time he was foreman of the establishment, having full charge of the business, which he finally purchased, and for twelve years has been successfully operating the mill in his own interests. As before stated, he owns a wagon and blacksmith shop, deals in agricultural implements, and owns a general merchandise store. In 1882 he established a cheese factory in Hamilton, but after four years sold out. He now owns 246 acres of splendid grazing land.
Mr. Decker married Eva Wilson, an estimable lady, born in Adams County, Dec. 18, 1852, where her parents settled two years previously. She was the only child born to William and Melinda (Sabaw) Wilson of Pennsylvania. Her mother, who was a member of the Congregational Church, died in 1852. Her father lived in Adams County for ten years, and then moved to Outagamie County, but after a few years became a resident of Waushara County, settling on the farm where he still resides. His second wife was formerly Louisa Colvill, and nine children were born of their union.
Mr. and Mrs. Decker have one child, Jay, born Dec. 13, 1876. In politics Mr. Decker is a Democrat of the Jeffersonian type, and manifests a lively interest in political affairs. He has been Postmaster of Hamilton for seven years, receiving the appointment during Hayes' administration, was township chairman for seven years, and was also a member of the County Board. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of Berlin, has filled the chair of Chancellor, Commander and all the lower offices, was representative to the Grand Lodge at Milwaukee in 1887 and 1888, and was a delegate to the State Presidential Convention held in Madison in 1888. He is recognized as one of the leading and influential citizens of the community, untiring and energetic in his business pursuits and upright and honorable in all his transactions. He enjoys the confidence and high regard of many friends, both in the social and business world, and is esteemed as a valued leader of society.
[Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, Chicago: Acme Publishing, 1890. - Submitted by Amanda Jowers]

Thomas H. Patterson
Thomas H. Patterson, one of the energetic and prosperous business men of Pine River, is the owner of one of the largest mills in Waushara County. As he is so widely and favorably known throughout the community we know that his biographical sketch will be of interest to the readers of this Album. The history of his life is as follows:
He was born in the town of Milton, Saratoga County, N.Y., on the 5th of March, 1848, and is of Irish descent. His father, Thomas Patterson, was born near Belfast, Ireland, in the year 1800, and lived the life of a well-to-do farmer. He grew to manhood in his native country, coming to America at the age of twenty-five years. He first settled in Saratoga County, N.Y., where he became acquainted with and married Margaret Moorehead, who was born in Ireland in 1822. A family of six sons and four daughters was born of their union - Charlotte, who was united in marriage with Horace F. Skinner, a farmer of the town of Mt. Morris, Waushara County; Eliza, who became the wife of John Clark, a farmer, who for ten years was county clerk of Waushara County; James enlisted in Company A, 16th Wisconsin Infantry for the late war and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, the first engagement in which he participated; Thomas H. is the next younger; Maggie married Amos Brownlow, a farmer of Mt. Morris Township; Agnes is the wife of La Fayete Soule of Kirksville, Mo.; John died in infancy; William resides on the old homestead in Mt. Morris Township; Charles married Lettie Wood and is living on a farm in the same town; George is an apprentice in the mill owned by our subject.
Thomas Patterson was but two years of age when he was brought by his parents to Waushara County. His father purchased 160 acres of wild land previous to the government survey and upon the farm which he there developed he made his home until his death in November, 1880. His wife survived him until Feb. 7, 1883, when she too passed away. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church. The mother of Mr. Patterson also left her home in Ireland, emigrating to America, and spent her last days with her son in the town of Mt. Morris.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were spent on his father's farm. He received but limited educational advantages, having to assist his father in the cultivation of his land and aid in the support of the family. While the black clouds of warfare were still overhanging the country, though only a youth of seventeen summers, Mr. Patterson volunteered his services and became a member of Company B, 49th Wisconsin Infantry, on the 30th of January, 1865. His company remained in camp at Madison for four weeks and was then transferred to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo. During the latter part of March it was sent to Port Daily, Rolla, Mo., where for six months it did guard duty. While there Mr. Patterson was taken sick and confined in the hospital for a short time, being removed to a hospital in St. Louis, where he was honorably discharged September 27, 1865.
Still in failing health he returned home and remained on the farm with his father for one year. He made his first business venture by purchasing 200 acres of uncultivated land upon which he resided for seven years and by his industry and untiring efforts succeeded in placing fifty acres of that amount under cultivation. Disposing of that property he came to Pine River and purchased the flouring mill owned by McNeeley & Co., then in a very dilapidated condition. He has since added many improvements and has a fine mill, its capacity being the greatest of any in the county. By assiduity to his business and honorable dealings with his patrons his efforts have been rewarded with a marked degree of success and although several other parties had made efforts to establish the business on a paying basis he was the only successful one.
Politically, Mr. Patterson is a stalwart Democrat and was an alternate delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Chicago that nominated Ex-President Cleveland. He was appointed Postmaster of Pine River but after holding the office for two years resigned. Socially, he is a member of Pine River Lodge, No. 207, A. F. & A. M. and has been representative to the Grand Lodge in Milwaukee. He also belongs to Ed. Saxe Post, No. 135, G. A. R. of Wautoma.
On the 10th of April, 1878, Mr. Patterson was united in marriage with Miss Belle Metcalf, an estimable and cultured lady, who was born Feb. 25, 1846, in Lake County, Ill, and is a daughter of Theopholis F. and Sabra (Palmeter) Metcalf, her father a native of the Emerald Isle, the mother of Herkimer County, N.Y. When her father was two years old he was brought to America by his parents, who settled on a farm in the Province of Ontario, Canada, near St. Thomas, and there Mr. Metcalf was reared to agricultural pursuits. At the age of nineteen, he went to Muskegon, Mich., and became a partner in the lumber business of that city. In 1841, he removed to Lake County, Ill, and purchased the farm on which he lived until 1849, when he sold out and removed to Winnebago County, Wis., subsequently becoming a citizen of the town of Marion, Waushara County, where he and his wife still make their home. They have a family of three children: Delia C., born April 29, 1848, became the wife of T. W. Hamilton, a boot and shoe merchant of Berlin; Frank F., born May 22, 1855, wedded Mary Moriarty. Mrs. Patterson's education was completed in the Berlin High School, where he pursued a four years' course, lacking only one year of graduation. She taught her first school when sixteen years of age and with the exception of the four years spent in the High School taught for sixteen successive years. In 1874 and 1875 she was Principal of the Pine River School. As an instructor she has few equals in Waushara County and it was with sincere regret on the part of many that she left the ranks of its successful teachers. One child graces the union of Mr. and Mrs. Patterson - Fay M., born Jan. 21, 1879.
In the social world this worthy couple are held in the highest regard and in business circles few rank higher than our subject. He has made his own way in the world, working upwards step by step until he is numbered among the prosperous citizens of the county and is proprietor of one of its leading industries. [Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, Chicago: Acme Publishing, 1890. - Submitted by Amanda Jowers]

Jeremiah O. Williams
Jeremiah O. Williams, a progressive farmer residing on section 25, in the town of Leon, Waushara County, is a native of the Green Mountain State. He was born in Chester, April 30, 1829, of Welsh parentage and is a son of Pardon Williams, whose birth occurred in the city of Providence, R.I., whence he removed during the early days of his manhood to Vermont, where he lived the life of a well-to-do-farmer until 1832, when he removed to Jefferson County, N.Y., and again embarked in agricultural pursuits. He remained a useful citizen of the county until his death, which occurred at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Abigail Fox, was a native of Vermont, and they became acquainted after the removal of Mr. Williams to that State. She died in 1852, in the fifty-fourth year of her age. Both were members of the Universalist Church.
The subject of this sketch was the seventh in order of birth in a family of ten children. His early life was spent under the parental roof, he remaining at home on the farm until twenty years of age, and in the meantime obtained a good education in the common schools of Jefferson County, N.Y. Attracted by the discovery of gold in California, in 1849, he made his way to the Pacific Slope, where for a time he worked in the gold mines and at intervals did considerable prospecting. After two years he returned to the East, locating in Providence, R.I., but his stay in that city was of short duration, and he again started Westward, his journey being this time only as far as St. Louis, Mo., where he remained until 1856. Going to Jefferson County, Wis., at the expiration of that time, his residence in that community covered a period of eight years, and in 1864 he made a trip to Montana and established himself in the overland freight business, his route at different times lying between various places. In that pursuit he successfully engaged for five years, after which he returned to Jefferson County, Wis., where the succeeding five years of his life were passed. Determining to make Waushara County his home, he purchased 120 acres of land on section 25, in the town of Leon, where he still resides.
On the 4th of April, 1872, Mr. Williams was joined in wedlock with Mrs. Eliza M. (Christman) Williams, who was born in New York, Aug. 22, 1833, and is a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Swortfigure) Christman, who were also natives of the Empire State. They have no children; but by her first husband, Aiden Williams, the wife of our subject had five children - Foster, Mary, Pardon, Adelaide and Lizzie. The second and third children are deceased, and the father died Aug. 7, 1870.
Politically, Mr. Williams is a Democrat of the Jacksonian type, and while a resident of Jefferson County became a member of the Masonic fraternity. He is chiefly engaged in dairying and the raising of fine stock, his farm being especially adapted to that purpose. He is a valued and enterprising citizen, and himself and family are held in high regard throughout the community. [Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, Chicago: Acme Publishing, 1890. - Submitted by Amanda Jowers]