Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page 880

VOLNEY E. BREWER, jeweler; was born in Otego, Otsego
Co., N.Y., May 16, 1841; moved from there to Lisle,
Broome Co., N.Y., when 10 years of age, lived there
eight years; Mr. BREWER traveled to western New York
for several years selling patent medicines, musical
instruments, etc.; was one year in the oil regions of
Pennsylvania, spent a year in Illinois, Iowa and
Missouri, before coming to Portage, where he arrived
in 1868; he learned the jewelers' trade in Lisle,
N.Y., and has been engaged in that business ever since
coming to Wisconsin; he is a member of the I.O.O.F.

JOHN BRICKWELL was born in Highwicombe,
Buckinghamshire, England, Dec. 8, 1813; came to
Wisconsin from Uxbridge, England, locating at Ft.
Winnebago in 1843; made a claim in Lewiston on Secs.
1, 2 and 11 (only one section); lived there until
1857, then removed to Portage; Mr. B. was first
Justice of the Peace of Ft. WINNEBAGO and organized
all the schools before the town was organized or
surveyed, and was the first School Superintendent of
that place; he came to Portage, was admitted to the
bar March 4, 1856, and to the Supreme Court Nov. 9,
1877; his naturalization papers were issued Sept. 11,
1856.  Mr. BRICKWELL was married in Uxbridge, England,
to Sarah BARTON, a native of Highwicombe.  They have
two children - Joseph and Sarah A.  Mr. B has held the
office of Alderman several times, President pro-tem,
of the Council, etc., Justice of the Peace for several
years, Clerk of District School Board when he first
came to Portage, Acting Mayor one year, and was
elected Supervisor April 6, 1880.  His son is now
living on the land which his father first entered in
this county; he was elected Justice of the Peace in
Lewiston in April 1880.

HARVEY BRIGGS was born in Benson, Rutland Co., Vt.,
May 17, 1818; educated at Castleton Seminary, read law
in the town of Whitehall, Washington Co., N.Y.,
admitted to the bar of Vermont in 1842; he then
practiced law in his native place until 1854; came to
Portage June 4, 1854, has resided in Wisconsin ever
since; he purchased a farm on Sec. 6 in the town of
Lewiston, lived there one year; in 1858, removed to
Packwaukee, was appointed County Judge of Marquette
Co. July 16, 1858; in the spring of 1859, was elected
to the same office on the Republican ticket by a
majority of 500 in a Democratic district, served until
1862, when he resigned; was also Justice of the Peace
and Assessor while in that county; removed to
Briggsville, was there until 1874; then in Montello
one year, and took charge of the office of County
Judge.  Came to Portage in 1875 where he has remained
ever since; has been Justice of the Peace for four
years.  Mr. BRIGGS was married at Cornwall, Vt., May
2, 1844, to Francis L. PECK, a native of Cornwall;
they have three children - Carlton W., now at Grand
Rapids, Wood Co., Wis., born April 21, 1845; Cloe
Anne, now Mrs. Fred DAVIS, of Lewiston, born September
1851; Ella May, now Mrs. James S. GAY, of Douglas,
Marquette Co., born July 13, 1858 - lost one son,
Amasa, born March 19, 1847, died in Michigan in 1867,
aged 20 years; Carlton enlisted as a private in Co. K,
18th W.V.I., in January 1862; was Captain of the 44th
W.V.I. when he was mustered out, after close of the
war; was Acting Assistant Inspector General of the
post at Paducah.

JAMES R. BRODIE was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland,
about seven miles from Glasgow, August 1836; came to
America in 1866, and to Portage in the fall of the
same year; learned the trade of shoemaking when he was
10 years of age, and has been engaged in that business
since arriving here, and in trade alone for the last
six years.  Married in the town of Ardrie, Scotland,
June 1863, to Margaret Leeds POTTER; she was born in
Scotland; they have three children - Bella, Willie and
James; lost two, one infant son James, and Maggie, who
died in February , 1877.  Mr. and Mrs. BRODIE are
members of the Presbyterian Church.

L. WALTER BROWN was born on Fox Island, Me., June 1,
1850; came with his parents to the town of Dekorra,
Columbia Co., Wis., in the fall of 1854; engaged in
farming there until 1865, when he removed to Jackson
Co., Minn.; his mother, Mary Green BROWN, died in the
town of Dekorra, April 16, 1865, leaving six children
- Eurena J., now Mrs. S. T. KELLER, residing in
Jackson Co., Minn.; Frank M., now a resident of Maine;
Roscoe G., Quinnesee, Mich.; Flora E., now Mrs. D. H.
HAGGARD, of Winnebago Agency; L. Walter (the subject
of this sketch), of Phillips, Wis., Register of Deeds
for Price Co., dealer in pine lumber, real estate,
etc., and Harvey H., mineral explorer at Quinnesee.
Mr. B. enlisted in Co. E, 50th W.V.I. in January 1865,
mustered in Feb. 22 of the same year; mustered out in
June, serving three months and twenty-five days; lived
in Wisconsin most of the time since 1854; a resident
of Price Co. since 1876; local agent about three years
for Senator Price, one of the largest individual
lumber operators in America; since then, operating on
his own account principally; his brothers and sister
are all natives of Maine, except Harvey L. who was
born in Columbia Co.; father and mother both born on
Fox Island, Me.

Submitted by Carol