BIOGRAPHIES: Martin KURSCHNER, Prairie Farm Township, Barron County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Vic Gulickson 31 July 2000 ==================================================================== Martin Kurschner, now deceased, was one of the early settlers of Prairie Farm Township, and saw its development from a wilderness. He was born in Gumpelstadt, Saxe Meinungen, Germany, Nov. 5, 1839, the son of Casper and Marie Fredericka Kurschner. He was reared in his native land and in 1860 was married to Anna Kallenbach, who was born Aug. 28, 1839. There three children were born, Oswald, Chris and Valentine. In 1866 the whole family, Martin and his wife, his father and mother, and the three children, came to America, the voyage taking three weeks and aboard a sailing boat. In due time they reached Chicago, and from there found their way to Black Earth, in Dane County, this state. For three years he was employed on the railroad as a section hand. In 1869 they came to Barron County. From Black Earth, they made the trip overland to the Mississippi, and thence in a boat up the Mississippi to Reed's Landing, Wabasha County, Minn., on the Wisconsin point, opposite which they were met by Christopher Kiser, a friend, who already had taken a homestead in Sheridan Township, Dunn County. He drove them here with an ox team, and took them into his home until they could get a cabin built. When they put up their cabin there was but little except woods and cut-over land in any direction. Mr. Kurschner borrowed money and bought a cow and a yoke of oxen, with which to start farming. To earn this money he went to the woods and worked in the lumber camps three years. While away he left the family in the little cabin, in a region traversed by Indians, and roamed by the animals of the wild. In after years, Mr. Kurchner enjoyed relating stories of the early days. He told with relish of one trip which he took with a team of oxen to the "Eighteen Mile Mill", so called, on the Menomonie River. Arriving at the river, he and his companions determined to camp for the night before fording the stream. That night there came a heavy rain, and by morning the quiet stream was a raging flood. The miller came out with a boat fastened a rope to the oxen's horns, and piloted them across to the mill, the wagon floating behind them with the wagon box securely lashed to the body. In the early days it was difficult to haul goods in through the woods, and furniture, especially, was scarce, so much of the furniture which Mr. Kurschner had in his cabin he made himself. As time passed, Mr. Kurschner built up a good farm. He put up a suitable set of buildings, and added to his holdings until he owned 320 acres. After a long life of useful work, he died Jan. 1919. In addition to the three children who came with the parents from Germany, four more, Nicholas, August, Mary and Anna, were born on the farm in Barron County. Mrs. Anna Kallenbach Kurschner died May 29, 1880. In 1881 he married Anna Specht, who was born Nov. 20, 1848, and died May 9, 1908. By this marriage two children were born, John and Louisa. --Taken from: History of Barron Co., Wisconsin, H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., 1922, pg. 608.