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
896-897

CHRISTIAN P. ETTEN was born at Muffendorf, Rhine
Prussia, March 31, 1839; was educated as a musician,
and served in the military band of the Prussian Third
Grenadier Guard.  After leaving that, he played one
year at home, and then came to America, arriving in
Chicago in March 1864, where he remained three years;
lived at Rockford two years, and then came to Portage,
where he has since resided except one year spent in
Madison, teaching music and as organist of St.
Raphael's Church, which position he still holds.  He
teaches vocal and instrumental music.  He was married
at Kenosha, Wis., March 5, 1866, to Amelia TOEMMEL,
who was born in Mering, Prussia, Nov. 1, 1847.  They
have six children - Fannie, born in Rockford; Lizzie,
John B., Mary B., Albert, and Emma L.M., born in
Portage; Joseph, died in Chicago, aged 5 months.  They
are members of the Catholic Church.

Page 897

MARTIN FARRAR, passenger engineer on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway; was born in April 1836,
in Vermont.  He began railroad life at the age of 19,
as fireman on the Rutland & Washington Railway, and he
continued with that road eight years, the last one of
which was as engineer.  He was married, in 1862, to
Miss Hannah DRISCOLL, of Vermont; came West in May
1863, and engaged as engineer for the St. Paul Road,
and lived in Milwaukee till 1866, when he moved to
Portage, where he still resides and continues in the
engineer service.  He has one son, born October 1865,
and named George.  Mr. FARRAR belongs to the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; his neighbors
report him as a reliable, candid man; his residence is
No. 28 Franklin street.

EDWARD FINK was born in Prussia Jan. 19, 1839; came to
America in 1854; located in Cleveland, Ohio, one year,
Sandusky two and a half years, Norwalk one year; came
to Portage, Wis., April 1859, and has since been
engaged in the bakery, restaurant and confectionery
business, which he began in 1854, most of the time
since.  Mr. F. was married at Portage March 24, 1861,
to Teresa KETTLER, who was born in Prussia.  They have
six children living - Amarudie H., Henry L., Anna M.,
Willie C., Freddie E., Edward Daniel Emil; Carl, born
June 19, 1872, died at the age of 4 months and 11
days.

ALEXANDER D. FORBES, deceased, was born in Madrid,
N.Y. in 1823.  He early engaged in the mercantile
business in Waddington, St. Lawrence Co., N.Y., where
he remained till he came to Wisconsin in 1856.  He and
his brother, W. W. FORBES, engaged in general
merchandising in Portage till 1870.  He was married on
the 7th of August 1860, to Miss Carrie E. BAXTER, of
Prairie du Sac, Wis.  They had four children -
Frederick, born Feb. 18, 1863, and graduated in 1880
from the high school in Portage; William R., born June
22, 1865; Carrie A., born Dec. 17, 1867; Frankie, born
March 13, 1870, and died April 9, 1871.  He owned a
farm of 320 acres and one of 170 acres, both in
township of Arlington, Columbia Co., and a fine brick
residence on Conant street, besides other real estate
in the city.  This property Mrs. FORBES still retains.
When Mr. FORBES began business here, only three stores
were in Portage.  He was a careful, quiet, successful
business man, attended closely to his business, and
was devoted to his family.  He took but little
interest in politics.  He was a patient sufferer for
five years with consumption, and he died Jan. 12,
1871.  The residence on Conant street was built and
fitted up in 1865 and Mrs. FORBES and family continue
to live in their pleasant homestead.  No family is
more highly respected.

J. C. FORBES was born in Aurora, Erie Co., N.Y., July
8, 1828; lived there and in the vicinity until coming
to Kingston, Green Lake Co., Wis., in July 1861, where
he remained for seven years; removed to Portage in
1867, and engaged in his present business, which he
still continues to follow, that of watchmaker and
jeweler, the same business he has been engaged in for
the last thirty years.  Married in the town of
Marilla, N.Y., Aug. 7, 1851, to Betsey M. ELLS; she
was born in Evans, Erie Co., N.Y.; they have six
children living - James S., Melissa M., Henry M.,
Samuel L., Frederick J., and George C., lost two
children, one daughter, Amelia, who died at the age of
4 years and 5 months, and one son, Sherman, at the age
of 10 months.  Mr. F. is a member of the Temple of
Honor.

CHARLES FOSTER was born at Fox Lake, Dodge Co, Wis.,
May 10, 1855; son of Lucius and Margaret FOSTER.  His
father was born in Watertown, N.Y., and settled in
Jefferson, Co., before the admission of Wisconsin as a
State; in 1848, located at Fox Lake, and engaged in
mercantile business; removed to Melrose in 1859, and
carried on hotel and lumber business for seven years;
since which time he has been farming in La Fayette,
four and one-half miles from Sparta.  Charles, the
subject of this sketch, remained with his parents
until 1875, then became connected with the railroad
eating-house at Sparta, remained there one year; since
that time, until Jan. 12, 1880, with W. D. FOX in the
Corning House at Portage; and at present with A. E.
SMITH in the same house.  He is a member of the
A.O.U.W.  Mr. FOSTER's mother was a native of Great
Ben, Penn.

Submitted by Carol