HON. FRANK AVERY - Biography

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Commemorative and Biographical Record of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, 
WI. Chicago: Ogle, 1901, p 250-252


HON. FRANK AVERY, of Baraboo, has perhaps been more closely identified with 
the public affairs of Sauk County [WI] than any other [p 251] citizen, and 
has also been instrumental in shaping more important legislation. He was 
born at Tenterden, county of Kent, England, 17 Nov 1830, a son of Thomas and 
Mary (BOORMAN) AVERY. Thomas AVERY came to WI in 1864 and died at Baraboo 
[Sauk County, WI] on 15 Apr 1885, aged 83 years. He was a native of 
Tenterden, where he carried on business as a shoemaker, following the 
occupation in which his father, William AVERY, had preceded him. Mrs. Mary 
AVERY was born in the county of Kent and died there in 1838. Her parents 
came to the U. S. several years previous to that time, settling at Rochester 
[Monroe County], NY, where the father engaged in farming.

Frank AVERY is the only son of his parents and the only survivor of the 
family. He received a common school education and learned his father's 
trade, which he has followed during the greater part of his life. In 1853 he 
came to the U. S. and worked successfully at Oswego [Oswego County] and Fort 
Brewerton [Onondaga County], NY. In 1855 he removed to Janesville [Rock 
County], WI, and soon after to Baraboo [Sauk County, WI], which has since 
been his home. Here he opened a shoe shop and store and successfully carried 
on that line of business until 1891. For the first 20 years the firm was 
AVERY & GREEN, but during the balance of this period he was sole proprietor. 
Since 1891 he has been engaged in general insurance, also managing a number 
of estates.

He has always been an active Republican, having supported John C. Fremont in 
1856, and every presidential candidate of his party since that time. He has 
participated in many county and state conventions and was chairman of the 
county committee for six years, a period which included the famous Blaine and 
Logan campaigns of 1884. For more than a 20 years he has almost continuously 
held some important public office and has frequently filled several such 
positions simultaneously. In 1876 he was elected president of the village of 
Baraboo and in 1898 became the mayor of the city. For ten years he was a 
member of the county board of supervisors. In 1887 he was elected a member 
of the WI assembly, where he soon became conspicuous for his activity and 
devotion to public interests. He was made chairman of the committee on labor 
and manufactures, the first committee of that name ever formed in the 
assembly, and was instrumental in preventing the passage of a bill to 
prohibit prison labor. In 1889 he was elected a member of the WI senate, in 
which body he served as a member of the committee on roads and bridges and on 
state affairs. He continued his interest in prison reform work and helped to 
secure the passage of laws permitting the indeterminate sentence for 
convicts, a provision the wisdom of which is now univerally recognized. He 
also strongly supported the bill for a general city charter and worked 
industriously to secure an amendment to the constitution of the state 
prohibiting special legislation for cities. He is now president of the board 
of directors of the Baraboo Public Library and chairman of the jury 
commission of Sauk County.

On 30 May 1859 Frank AVERY was wedded to Miss Emily ANDRUS, a daughter of 
Edwin and Susan (GILLETTE) ANDRUS, who was born near Loraine [Lorain, Lorain 
County], OH, and died at Baraboo [Sauk County, WI] on 17 Apr 1895, aged 61 
years. In addition to many other admirable qualities, this lady developed 
remarkable literary ability, and from time to time contributed to some of the 
leading periodicals of the country, expressing many charming ideas in both 
prose and verse.

Julia, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. AVERY, departed this life 18 Mar 
1897, at the age of 33 years. She was [p 252] a highly accomplished lady and 
served as secretary to Governor W. D. HURD during the latter's term of office 
as chief magistrate of the state of WI. Miss AVERY was afterwards employed 
for several years as stenographer for the superintendent of schools for the 
city of Milwaukee [Milwaukee County, WI].

Mr. AVERY was reared in the Unitarian faith, to which he has always 
consistently adhered. Since 1854 he has been identified with the Masonic 
fraternity and he justly merits the high regard in which he is held by his 
fellow citizens. Mr. AVERY was married 04 May 1899 to Hattie HALL, a 
resident of Baraboo [Sauk County, WI].