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
897-898

JOHN FOSTER was born in County Antrim, Ireland, March
16, 1820; came to the town of Jackson, Washington Co.,
N.Y., in the spring of 1847; lived there until the
fall of 1850, then came to Buffalo, Marquette Co,
Wis., and engaged in farming, dealing in live stock,
butchering, etc.; resided there until the fall of
1869, then came to Portage in the fall of 1869; in the
spring of 1870, commenced dealing in general produce
and dressed meats for the mining regions of Wisconsin
and Michigan, which he discontinued six or seven years
ago; he has been dealing in live stock since 1870,
which business he still follows, also extensive dealer
in wool; while a resident of Buffalo, was Supervisor
and Justice of the Peace.  Mr. FOSTER was married in
Portage, May 2, 1861, to Margaret GALLOWAY, a native
of Fyfeshire, Scotland; they have three children,
James A., Jennie H., George G.  Mr. FOSTER and his
partner, Mr. REID, own a large ranch in Saline Co.,
Neb., on which they have 275 head of cattle.

Page 898

W. D. FOX was born in Richmond, Ontario Co., N.Y.,
Dec. 6, 1824, and lived there until 1843; then went to
Black Rock, Erie Co., N.Y., remained there until 1845;
then to Ohio near Wooster, Wayne Co.; came to
Milwaukee in the spring of 1847, lived there a few
months, then came to Watertown and lived two years,
where he was engaged in the milling business; from
Watertown he moved to Kingston and continued in the
same business until spring of 1857; in May 1858, came
to Portage and engaged in the hotel business being
virtually proprietor of the Veeder House, hotel was
burned two years later; in April 1869, went to
Faribault, Minn., September 1860, and took charge of
the depot and eating-house, until it burned in the
winter of 1862-63; early in 1868, took charge of the
railroad eating-house and hotel in Milwaukee until
1870, and was for a portion of the same time partner
in the Plankington and Newhall House of Milwaukee;
after returning to Portage in June 1870, he took
charge of the railroad eating-house and hotel here; in
1873, sold out the Milwaukee Union Depot eating-house
business; in 1876, opened the Corning House, remodeled
it and ran it until he sold it to A. E. SMITH, Jan. 1,
1880; he took possession of the Cameron House at La
Cross, Wis., March 1, 1880, which he now conducts; he
owns and runs seven farms in Martin and Faribault
Cos., Minn.  Married in Fond du Lac, Dec. 19, 1855, to
Alvina SMITH, daughter of Asa SMITH, who settled in
Fond du Lac in an early day.  Mr. A. SMITH died in St.
Paul three years ago; Alvina SMITH was born in
Mansfield, Ohio.  Mr. F. is the son of George and
Hulda (SHELDON) FOX; both parents died in New York
State at Richmond; they have one child, Hattie M., now
attending Bishop Whipples' school at Faribault, Minn.

MISS DORA FRUND, pastry cook at the Corning House; was
born in 1857, in Germany; came to United States in
1865.  Her parents are farmers.  She has worked out
since she was 14 years of age, and has been in the
hotel nearly four years.  She is a Methodist.  She is
responsible for the "pies and things", which are
"taken" so freely from the tables of the Corning
House.

WILLIAM FULTON was born in Keighley, Yorkshire,
England, May 12, 1843; educated to the drug and
grocery business in Skipton, England; came to America
Feb. 22, 1866, and to Wisconsin same year, and located
in Portage about March 1, 1866  For some time after
coming here, was employed by the C.M. & St. P. R.R.
Co.; clerked for N. H. WOOD & Co.; also for John
FULTON; purchased present business, Dec. 26, 1872,
with Alex THOMPSON; buying THOMPSON out in 1889, he
has since carried on the business alone.  Was married
Jan. 22, 1869, in Waukesha Co., Wis., to Agnes T.
MORE; she was born in Glasgow, Scotland.  They have
two children - Agnes A. aged 10 years, and Mary H.,
aged 5 years.  Mr. and Mrs. F. are members of the
Presbyterian Church, and Mr. F. belongs to the Temple
of Honor.  Mr. FULTON carries on the business which
was originally established by T. M. McMILLAN.

JAMES FYFE, born in Scotland Aug. 8, 1837; came to
America in 1854, and located in Chicago, where he
remained until 1860; then going to Davenport, Iowa,
where he was employed in the C.R.I & P. R.R. shops
(then the Miss. & Mo. R.R. Co.)  From Davenport, he
went to Bloomington, Ill., working for the C.A. & St.
L. R.R. Co.; then returning to Chicago in 1864, and
remaining there until 1865, when he came to Portage,
where he started a general jobbing and repair shop
(iron work); commenced the manufacture of plows in the
fall of 1877; his step-son is at present associated
with him in business.  Married Marion CROW at
Davenport, Iowa, Aug. 22, 1860; she was born in
Dumfrieshire, Scotland.  They have four children -
George C., Fannie McD., Marion C., and James L.; Mrs.
FYFE has a son by a previous marriage - John C.
ANDERSON.  Mr. F. has been Supervisor of Second Ward
and City Engineer; he is a member of the A.F. & A.M.,
and is also Secretary of the Curling Club.

Submitted by Carol