Fifty Years In The Northwest
been attorney of the various railroads centring in Hudson, and is now
attorney of the Minneapolis, Soo St. Marie & Atlantic railroad. He was
married in 1860 to Ellen M. Brewster.
MERT HERRICK was born in Orleans county, New York, in 1834. He
received a common school education. He came to St. Croix in 1857; was
married in 1859 to Lois P. Willard; enlisted at the beginning of the
Civil War in the Thirtieth and later in the Fortieth Wisconsin
Volunteer Infantry, and served during the war. He has held the office
of treasurer of St. Croix county for six years. He is at present a
member of the Hudson Lumber Company.
D. A. BALDWIN, president of the West Wisconsin railroad, built a fine
residence on the shore of the lake, north of Willow river, in the
latter part of the '50s, and did much to promote the interests of
North Hudson, which he surveyed into village lots in 1873. D. A. and
H. A. Baldwin erected a commodious hotel in North Hudson in 1873. The
hotel was subsequently sold to H. A. Taylor and removed to Hudson,
where it was known as the Chapin Hall House. Mr. Baldwin removed from
Hudson when the West Wisconsin railroad passed into other hands.
JOHN COMSTOCK was born in Cayuga county, New York, in 1813. When he
was twelve years old his parents removed to Pontiac, Michigan. He here
served an apprenticeship of three years to a millwright, and afterward
engaged in business at Pontiac until 1851. He came to Hudson in 1856,
and was city contractor six years. In 1863 he founded the First
National Bank of Hudson, in which he has ever since been a director.
Mr. Comstock has been engaged in many public enterprises and has been
uniformly successful. He is one of the most reliable and substantial
of the business men of Hudson. He was married in 1844.
LUCIUS P. WETHERBY was born in Onondago county, New York, October,
1827. At eighteen years of age, he went to Weston, New York, where he
studied law with Martin Grover and W. J. Angell. He was married in
1849 to Sophia Antremont, and in 1856 removed to Hudson. In 1860 he
was elected judge of the Eighth district, Wisconsin, and served six
years.
JOHN C. SPOONER.--Mr. Spooner was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Jan.
6, 1843. He was educated at the district schools until 1859, when his
father, Judge Spooner, removed to Madison, Wisconsin. This removal
afforded the son an opportunity of entering upon a course of classical
instruction in the State University, which he would have completed but
for the Civil War. In 1864 he enlisted as a private in the Fortieth
Wisconsin Infantry. He did honorable duty at the front until compelled
by sickness to retire from the army. After having served a short time
as assistant state librarian, and having been restored to health, he
raised a company which was attached to the Fiftieth Wisconsin
Regiment, and became its captain. His regiment was sent to the
Missouri river to do service among the Indians, and was stationed at
Fort Rice, Dakota. In July, 1866, it was mustered out of the service.
He then returned to Madison and commenced the study of law.
When Gen. Lucius Fairchild was elected governor, Mr. Spooner was
chosen as his private and military secretary. He held this position
for eighteen months, when he resigned and entered the office of the
attorney general of the State as assistant. In 1870 he removed to
Hudson and began a general law practice. The following year he was
elected a member of the state legislature. While a member of this body
he vigorously championed the State University, which institution was
at that time in sore trouble. His service in this matter was afterward
recognized by the governor, who appointed him a member of the board of
regents of the university, which position he still retains. He was for
twelve years general solicitor of the West Wisconsin Railroad Company
and the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Company. In May, 1884,
he resigned. Mr. Spooner stands deservedly high in his profession, and
has acquired eminence also as a political speaker.
The Wisconsin legislature elected him to the United States Senate,
January, 1885, and he at once took rank among the most eloquent and
able members of that body. He is of small physique, not weighing over
one hundred and twenty-five or one hundred and thirty pounds, has a
dark complexion and a smoothly shaven face, and is possessed of great
bodily as well as mental energy.
THOMAS PORTER.--Mr. Porter was born in Tyrone, Ireland, in 1830;
received a common school education, and learned the trade of
wagonmaker. He came to America in 1855; served three years during the
Civil War as a private in Company A., Thirtieth Regiment, Wisconsin
Volunteers; moved to Hudson in 1871, and represented St. Croix county
in the assembly in 1885.
HERMAN L. HUMPHREY was born at Candor, Tioga county, New York, March
14, 1830; received a public school education, with the addition of one
year in Cortland Academy; became a merchant's clerk at the age of
sixteen, in Ithaca, New York, and remained there for several years;
studied law in the office of Walbridge & Finch, was admitted to the
bar in July, 1854, and removed to Hudson, Wisconsin, where he
commenced practice in January, 1855; was soon after appointed district
attorney of St. Croix county, to fill a vacancy; was appointed by the
governor county judge of St. Croix county, to fill a vacancy, in the
fall of 1860, and in the spring of 1861 was elected for the full term
of four years from the following January; was elected to the state
senate for two years, and in February, 1862, resigned the office of
county judge; was elected mayor of Hudson for one year; was elected in
the spring of 1866 judge of the Eighth Judicial circuit, and was
re-elected in 1872, serving from January, 1867, until March, 1877. He
was elected a representative from Wisconsin in the Forty-fifth
Congress as a Republican, and was re-elected to the Forty-sixth
Congress. During the past three years he has devoted himself to his
profession in Hudson. Mr. Humphrey has been twice married. In June,
1855, he was married to Jennie A. Cross, in Dixon, Illinois. Mrs.
Humphrey died in January, 1880, leaving two sons, Herman L., Jr., and
William H., and three daughters, Fanny S., Mary A., and Grace J. Mr.
Humphrey was married to Mrs. Elvira Dove, at Oswego, New York, October
1881. In 1887 he served again as a member of the assembly.
THEODORE COGSWELL was born in 1819, at Whitehall, New York. He
received a common school education and learned the trade of a painter.
He removed to Stillwater in 1848 and to Hudson in 1861 and to St. Paul
in 1882. He was married to Augusta B. Kelly in 1855. His son was for
many years editor of the Hudson _Republican_.
FRANK P. CATLIN is of Revolutionary and Connecticut stock. His father
entered the war of the Revolution at eleven years of age as a
musician. He served seven years. His discharge is signed by George
Washington. Mr. Frank P. Catlin is the youngest of fourteen children.
He was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1815. He was
married in 1840 to Elizabeth Dubois, who died in 1852, leaving three
sons, Charles L., Frank E. and Fred. Mr. Catlin was married to his
second wife in 1857, who died in 1872, leaving one son, William W. Mr.
Catlin moved to Green Bay in 1840, to Green Lake in 1844, and to
Hudson in 1849, having been commissioned by President Taylor as
register of the Willow River land office. This position he held four
years. Mr. Catlin spent some time traveling in foreign lands. In 1868
he removed to Ripon, Wisconsin, but returned in 1870 to Hudson, where
he still lives.
CHARLES Y. DENNISTON was born in Orange county, New York, in 1832;
graduated at University of Vermont in 1852; studied law in Iowa in
1853-54, and came to Hudson in 1855, where he engaged in real estate
and insurance business, in which he has been quite successful. He was
married in 1856 to Maria A. Coit, of Hudson. Mrs. Denniston died Aug.
31, 1886.
A. E. JEFFERSON.--Mr. Jefferson came from Genesee county, New York, to
Hudson in 1859. For the past fifteen years he has officiated as
cashier of the Hudson First National Bank.
SAMUEL C. SYMONDS was born in 1831, in Hooksett, New Hampshire. He
graduated at the University of Vermont in 1852 and the ensuing year
came to Hudson, where he taught school and studied law for three years
and afterward engaged in the real estate business and subsequently
officiated as county judge four years. He was married in 1860 to Mary
C. Bloomer. In 1886 he was commissioned postmaster of the city of
Hudson by President Cleveland.
JOHN E. GLOVER, an old citizen and successful lawyer of Hudson, has
gained a prominent position amongst the solid business men of the city
by his untiring industry, combined with rare judgment and knowledge of
men. In addition to his law business he is an extensive operator in
real estate, flouring and lumber mills.
LEMUEL NORTH, a reliable merchant of Hudson, a public spirited citizen
and a kind hearted man, merits the respect which his townsmen accord
him. He has been successful in business.
EDGAR NYE, much better known under his _nom de plume_ "Bill Nye," was
born in 1846. When a boy he came West with his parents to the
Kinnikinic valley. Mr. Nye studied law and practiced some years in
Laramie City, Wyoming Territory, where he obtained a national
reputation as a wit from his connection with the Laramie newspaper
known as the _Boomerang._ Mr. Nye's mirth-provoking sketches have been
published in book form. His parents still live at River Falls.
WILLIAM THOMPSON PRICE.--Mr. Price was born in Barre, Huntington
county, Pennsylvania, June 17, 1824. After receiving a fair education,
he came West, and in 1845 settled in Black River Falls, Wisconsin,
where he at once entered upon the occupation of a lumberman. In 1851
he was elected to the assembly as a Democrat, but on the organization
of the Republican party in 1854, he united with the organization, with
which he remained during the balance of his life. In 1853 and 1854 he
was judge of Jackson county; in 1855 he was under sheriff. He was a
member of the state senate in 1858, 1870, 1878, 1879, 1880, and 1881;
a member of the assembly in 1882; was collector of internal revenue
from 1863 to 1865, and held many local offices in his county. For many
years he was president of the Jackson County Bank. In 1882 he was
elected to the Forty-eighth Congress; was re-elected in 1884 to the
Forty-ninth, and in 1886 to the Fiftieth. He died at his home at Black
River Falls, Dec. 6, 1886. He was a man of immense energy and
endurance; and was ever ready to do his full share of labor in all
places. As a public man he acquitted himself well. In addition to
business tact and energy, and practical common sense, he was a public
speaker of unusual readiness and ability. In private life he was a
generous hearted man, strongly attached to his friends, and greatly
respected for his sterling qualities of character.
E. B. BUNDY.--Judge Bundy was born in Broome county, New York, in
1833. He received a common school and academic education and attended
one year at Hamilton College. He came to Dunn county, Wisconsin, where
he practiced law until 1877, when he was elected judge of the Eighth
Judicial circuit, to which position he was re-elected and is still
serving. He stands high in the estimation of his associates and the
people as a judge, and not less high in social life.
BALDWIN.
This town is coextensive with township 29, range 16. It was set off
from the township of Springfield and organized Dec. 3, 1872. Wm.
Whewell was chairman of the first board of supervisors.
BALDWIN VILLAGE,
Located on the West Wisconsin railroad, on the west boundary of the