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
875-876

WILLIAM ARMSTRONG was born in County Armagh, town of
Drumminmadder, Ireland, June 1824; came in 1839 to
America and located in the vicinity of Stevens Point,
Wis.; engaged as head sawyer in Harper's mill for
three years, then came to Marquette (now Green Lake)
Co., was on a farm one summer; bought and run a
sawmill at New Lisbon for fifteen or sixteen months;
came to what is now Portage; ran a lumber yard two or
three years; took up the claim and entered property in
that place; commenced brick making in 1847, which he
has continued since, with the exception of two years. 
Mr. A. was married in Portage to Hulda FISH.  They
have had three children, of whom but one, William
John, is living; William James, deceased; Sally Jane,
deceased.  Mr. A. was one of the first Alderman of the
city, serving several terms.

CHARLES J. ARNOLD, son of Josiah ARNOLD, was born at
Columbus, Columbia Co., Wis., Oct. 24, 1847.  Attended
Portage High School and Racine College; came with
parents to Portage in 1851; followed lumbering during
ten years, up to 1879, when he engaged in his present
business, that of freighting.  He was married at
Portage, June 30, 1870, to Mary F. HUTT, born in
Canada.  They have three children - Louis C., Robert
H. and Carl S.  Mr. A. is a member of the A.O.U.W. and
A.F. & A.M.

JOSIAH ARNOLD, son of Sylvester ARNOLD, was born in
the town of Washington, Berkshire Co., Mass., Nov. 1,
1820; moved to Stockbridge, Mass., with his parents in
1824; his father died in that place Oct. 18, 1845;
removed to Canaan, Columbia Co., N.Y., and resided
there ten years; he lived afterwards for various
periods in New York City, Stockbridge, Washington,
Mass., Maryland, Virginia, and Hamilton, Madison Co.,
N.Y.; taught school in the latter place until he came
west in the spring of 1843 he located first at
Stoughton, but moved to Janesville in the fall of
1843, where he remained two or three years, teaching
the first public school; in the spring of 1844, after
the close of his school, he clerked for one year in
Janesville; commenced general mercantile business in
spring of 1845 with Daniel E. BASSETT; they started a
branch store at Columbus, in the fall of 1845, closing
out the business at Janesville in the spring of 1846;
continued in business at Columbus until 1847 with
BASSETT; then one year alone in trade; Mr. A. was
appointed Clerk of Circuit Court in 1848, and elected
to same position in the fall of same year; in 1850,
elected Register of Deeds; held the office two years;
came to Portage in 1851, where he has since resided
(except during a few years at Germantown), and engaged
in the hardware business with J. B. FARGO, from 1853
to 1857; continued in that business alone until 1861;
then engaged in the lumber business, operating a large
mill at Germantown, Juneau Co., Wis.; also associated
with CARNAGIE & PRESCOTT in a lumber yard and planing
mill at Portage; Mr. A. owns pine lands in Wood,
Marathon and Clark Cos.  Mr. A. was married in the
town of Fulton, Rock Co., Wis., Dec. 20, 1846, to Mary
Jane TRUE, born in Perry, Wyoming Co, N.Y.  They have
five children - Charles J., born Oct. 24, 1847;
William S., born Aug. 10, 1850; Samuel E., born Nov.
9, 1854; Harry E., born Feb. 1, 1859; Fred D., born
March 23, 1864.  Mr. A. was Postmaster at Columbus for
two years; Alderman of Portage in 1854, 1855 and 1856;
in the spring of 1877, elected Mayor, and is now
serving his third year; in 1877, elected Assemblyman. 
He is a member of the A.F. & A.M. Lodge No. 23,
Chapter 14, and Commandery No. 4  Mr. A.'s
grandfather, Timothy ARNOLD, served in the
Revolutionary War.

Submitted by Carol