RUFUS BILLINGS - Biography

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This biography appears on page 635 in History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin...
published by the Western Historical Co.: 1879.


RUFUS BILLINGS, farmer; P. O., Burlington; born in Somers, Tolland Co.,
Conn., in 1803; when he was 21 years old he went to Utica, N. Y., and
stayed there four years; then he went to Trenton Falls, Ooeida Co., N.
Y., where he remained six years. He married, in Ludlow, Mass., Oct. 4,
1830, Sarah Fuller; they had two children -- Rufas M., born in Trenton
Falls, Sept. 7, 1833; Levi J., in Trenton Falls, Nov. 28, 1835. On the
1st day of November, 1836, they landed at Milwaukee; went from there to
Gardner's Prairie, in Walworth County, where he located and took up a
half section of Government land; he built a large frame house, improved
the land, and lived there till April, 1866, and then came to the town of
Burlington and bought the property he now lives on, two large lots with
residence, barns, etc., in the center of the village of Burlington; in
1869 he sold his property in Gardner's Prairie. They had two other
children born in Walworth County -- Sarah F., born. May 26, 1838,
Amelia, Jan. 17, 1850. Sarah married Hiram T. Sharp, and now resides in
Atlantic, Iowa; Amelia died May 11, 1853, and was buried in Walworth
County; Rufus M. married Julia E. Bacon, and lives in Spring Prairie,
Walworth County; Levi J. married Leora L. Washburn, and lives in Green
Bay, Wis., practicing law; have one child; he enlisted, and was
appointed Lieutenant in the 28th Regt. Wis. V. I., and was with his
regiment at the battle of Corinth, and at Memphis, Helena, and other
battles; he was taken sick and was disabled at Little Rock, Ark.; was
honorably discharged and came home. They are all members of the
Congregational Church, of which Mr. Billings has been Deacon several
years.