BIOGRAPHIES: Harvey John SILL, Barron, 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: Transcribed by Peg Lamkin Edited and submitted by Vic Gulickson 5 March 2002 ==================================================================== Harvey John Sill was born in Bethany, Genesse county, N. Y., Sept. 23, 1823, the third son of John Sill, born in Lyme, New London county, Conn., Dec. 29, 1790, and died May 27, 1869; and grandson of Thomas Sill, born at Lyme, Conn., Aug. 25, 1717, who was killed in the Revolutionary war. The founder of the family in America was John Sill, who came from Lyme, England, to Cambridge, Mass., in 1637 and died before 1653. In the early years following, the family settled at and formed the town of Lyme, Conn., naming it after their native home in England. John Sill, father of Harvey John Sill the subject of this sketch, left Lyme, Conn., in the early part of the 19th century, settling at Bethany, N.Y., where Harvey John Sill was born. Later he removed to the town of Alden, Erie county, where he had purchased a tract of heavily timbered land, which, with the help of his sons, he cleared and developed into a productive farm and on which he continued to live until he died. On this farm Harvey John Sill lived until he became twenty-one years of age. His education was such as the boys of his time obtained at the country schools, supplemented by attendance for a time at the Bethany academy. Early in life he caught the "Westward Ho" spirit and, against the advice of his father, in 1844 left for Wisconsin, first settling at Kenosha. The money for his transportation was earned by sowing, reaping and threshing by hand a small field of oats, marketed at 12 1/2 cents per bushel. Arriving at Kenosha he engaged in teaching school, working at carpenter work and contracting. During the fall months he developed trade of considerable proportions in buying fruit, especially peaches in Michigan, shipping by boat to Wisconsin lake ports. About 1847 he married Miranda Foster, and the following year removed to Arlington, Columbia county, Wis., at the time the state was admitted to the Union, and had thrown Empire Prairie open to settlement at $1.25 per acre. He soon became one of the prominent characters of the county, helped to organize the town in which he lived, was justice of the peace and chairman of his town. For several years previous, he had been a great student of Blackstone and reader of Kent, and while developing his new farm, continued assiduously the study of law, for which he had a great liking, and in the fifties was admitted to the bar. He was noted for his energy, courage, honesty and intelligence and generosity, and although deeply engrossed in farming and other enterprises, he continued his practice of law. In 1862 he removed to Poynette, in the same county, engaging in general merchandise, operating flouring mills, etc. He came to Barron county in 1872, soon after the county was organized. He at once took up a government homestead of 160 acres in the present town of Sumner, near Canton, and began the work of making his home there. He was the first to engage in dairying to any extent in those pioneer days and had the distinction of making the first cheese in the county. In 1873 he was elected county judge, holding court at Barron the first of each month; was re-elected to four successive terms, and moved to Barron, the county seat, in 1880. In 1882 he was elected district attorney, serving the county efficiently for two terms. As a lawyer Judge Sill was particularly strong in drawing legal documents and seldom had any papers quashed in court. During these years he held various school offices in township and village, and being of wide education, his services were of great value. During the eighties the Soo Line and Omaha railway were built through the county and in conjunction with his other various duties, he did considerable contracting, building the railroad stations at Barron, Canton, Cameron, Weyerhauser, as well as the first schoolhouse in Barron. The most of his time, however, was given to the attention of his law practice, which he continued till his death, March 23, 1900, being 76 1/2 years old. His first wife died in Poynette in 1867, and of their children two sons are still living, Edwin Walter, residing at Canton, this county, and William Howard, at Marinette, Wis. In 1871 he married Elizabeth Gee, who, with their two daughters, Katie E. and Jessie M. (now Mrs. K.E. Thompson) still reside in Barron. Judge Sill (he was always called judge) was a man of profound christian character. From this fealty he never swerved. Reared under the strictest of Presbyterian curriculum his faith was well rooted, and yet he was very liberal with all men. There being no church of his early faith in this new county, he at once identified himself with the Methodist church and was an active member in both church and Sunday school work during his life. Judge Sill was one of the real pioneers and founders of Barron County. It is safe to say the county did not contain to exceed 600 people, exclusive of Indians, when the judge, with a small colony from Poynette, located here. Eau Claire was the nearest railroad station. The judge was one of the county's most prominent and influential citizens and his name is inseparably connected with nearly four decades of its early progress and growth. He was a man of varied talents, a natural leader of men, and as an agriculturist, mechanical genius, attorney, educator and judge, he performed well his part in all the activities of life. He was an excellent citizen, a loyal friend, an ideal family man. He was a true gentleman and left his impress on the character of those of his profession and on all the citizens of the county, and his memory will be cherished so long as the early days of the county are remembered. --Taken from: History of Barron Co., Wisconsin, H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., 1922, pp. 86-88.