BIOGRAPHIES: Jacob WISTI, Arland Township, Barron Co., WI *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, 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. Submitted by: Vic Gulickson 24 February 2004 *********************************************************************** Jacob Wisti a prominent farmer of Arland Township, of which he has been a resident since 1898, was born in Finland, May 3, 1861, son of John E. and Katie (Makela) Wisti. He attended school in his native land and subsequently did farm labor until he came to America in 1889. Landing at New York, he went thence to southern Michigan, where for a short time he worked in lumber camps, then went to northern Michigan, where until 1898 he was employed in the iron mines. In that year he started out for himself as a farmer in Barron County, when he and his brother, Erick, purchased 120 acres of land in section 4, Arland Township. They built a small house and barn on the land, which was then wild, and together they began the development of what is today one of the well improved farms of Arland Township. In 1904 they rebuilt the house. They continued together until 1914, when Jacob became the sole proprietor. In 1915 he built a barn 34 by 66 feet, installed with the James equipment. He also has a good set of modern outbuildings. All these things show that Mr. Wisti is a man of industry and enterprise and worthy of the success which he has achieved. His operations are conducted along the lines of general farming and dairying. His cattle are Holsteins with a pure bred sire. Mr. Wisti helped to organize and build the Finnish Synod Church in Arland Township and is one of its first members. In addition to his farming interests, he is a stockholder in the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery at Barron, the Farmers' Co-operative Store at Poskin, the Almena Telephone Co. and the Farmers' State Bank at Poskin. He was married June 4, 1892, in Negaunee, Mich., to Mary Ahola, who was born in Finland, April 8, 1868, daughter of Jacob and Lena (Lassila) Ahola. The father is now deceased but the mother is still living in Finland. Their daughter, Mary, came to America in 1889 and for some time worked in a factory in Maynard, Mass. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wisti has been blessed by the birth of six children: Emily, born March 28, 1893, now Mrs. John Mayala of Arland Township; Ida M., born March 25, 1896, who died April 30, 1912; Hjalmer, born July 26, 1897, who was inducted into the army from Barron, Nov. 23, 1918, went to Camp Shelby, Miss., was attached to the fire truck and hose company and was discharged May 24, 1919, from Camp Shelby; Andrew O., born Sept. 26, 1899, now an auto-car salesman residing in Barron; Jacob W., born June 22, 1902, and Hilma E., born Nov. 7, 1906, who died March 31, 1908. --Transcribed from: History of Barron Co., Wisconsin, H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., 1922, pg. 919. © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm