BENTON CO, AR - EUGENE WAGER - Bio

From: History of Arkansas, Illustrated, 1889.
History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas.  
Published by Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889, Chicago.
Biographical Appendix, pp.901.


Submitted by: Carl A. Wager <wager@enol.com>

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EUGENE WAGER

Eugene Wager, miller at Wager, Arkansas, was born in the French portion
of Switzerland in 1821.  He is the son of Joseph and Sophie Clerc
Wager, the former being born in Wurtemburg, Germany, and the latter in
Switzerland.

There were four sons and three daughters, namely Joseph Henry, an
architect and painter, died in France.  Eugene, the subject of this
sketch, Isidore, a miller and millwright, died at Siloam Springs,
Arkansas, and Gustave, a farmer in Iowa.  Josephine, (wife of Mr. L.
Eplantenier) is dead, Eugenia is married to E. Briot of Chicago, and
Cecile married to the late Col. Arthur Jacobs of Chicago.

Joseph Wager, having alternately resided in France and Switzerland, a
portion of the children were born in France and other in Switzerland.

In 1845, Eugene Wager left France for America, and after his arrival in
this country, hunting for a situation in a mill, was persuaded to go to
Canada. Here he obtained employment.  But his wish being to go west, he
succeeded in the following spring in reaching Wisconsin, and in
Milwaukee formed a close relationship with Mr. Solomon Juneau, the
founder of the City.  

Through his influence he was able to better his condition considerable
and was employed in mills in East Troy and Whitewater.  Here he married
March 13, 1848 Miss Emeline Snider and after living and Janesville a
short time, at the request of Governor Farwell of Wisconsin went to
Madison to start and operate his mill with the water power at that
place.

He next moved to DePere, where he resided for twenty one years engaged
in lumbering, milling and mercantile business.  Severe losses, mainly
by fire, compelled him to retire from active business, and in 1864 he
joined a party moving to Montana Territory, and there remained for
nearly four years.  On his return he concluded to make a journey in the
south and make a selection of a new home, when at last he located in
Elm Springs, Washington County, Arkansas.  While here he purchased and
restored the Thornberry Mill and in 1876 he became the purchaser of
what was then called the Valley Mills, but now the Wager Mills on the
Osage Creek in Benton County, Arkansas.  He still operates said mill
and resided there and has imparted his name both to the Post Office at
that place and also the township.

Mr. Wager and his wife are the parents of six sons and two daughters,
namely, Francis E., a miner in Arizona, George O., a farmer and miner,
Edwin G., a miner and merchant in Arizona, Orlando V., a merchant at
Neosho, Missouri, Henry V., in Arizona, and William Wallace, at his
fathers.  The daughters are Sophie E., wife of Hugh Ritter of Elm
Springs, and Ida Jane, wife of J.F. Wasson of Springtown, Arkansas.

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