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
891-892

JAMES CONKLIN, son of Samuel and Margaret CONKLIN, was
born in the town of Conklin, Broome, Co., N.Y.  His
grandfather was the first settler there; his parents
came to Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wis., in the fall of
1846, remained there one year, and in 1847, removed to
Courtland, Columbia Co., where his father died May 11,
1861; his mother is now living, and resides with a
daughter, Mrs. Matilda ROCKWELL, at Fox Lake.  Mr.
CONKLIN came to Wisconsin in 1845, to Fort Winnebago;
he spent seven months in the pineries of Portage Co.,
in 1846, then coming back, he worked for Henry
MERRELL, in the stone and lumber business, most of his
time for seven years; he bought land in the town of
Courtland, Sec. 3, Township 12, Range 12, 40 acres,
and 40 acres of timber in Sec. 26, the first purchased
in that township in 1846, next spring buying 40 acres
more on Sec. 3, and at the present time he owns 100
acres located on Sec. 3, 20 acres on Sec. 26, and 40
acres on Sec. 33, all in the same town.  Mr. CONKLIN
was engaged in buying produce and furs most of the
time for about fifteen years; he had charge of the
canal here for about five years, and was engaged in
winters in freighting between this point and
Milwaukee, while he had charge of the canal; although
at present a resident of Portage, he owns and carries
on his farm in the town of Courtland.  He was Assessor
of that town nine years in succession, and held
various other offices in that town; he was elected
Sheriff in 1878.  He was married in the old Fort
Winnebago, to Frances L. SHIPLEY; she was born at
Potsdam, N.Y.; they have three daughters - Frances J.,
Ella E. and Lula Belle.

Page 892

W. W. CORNING, son of Warren CORNING, Jr., and Rhoda
(PROUTY) CORNING; his father died at Mentor, Lake Co.,
Ohio, in September 1834; his mother is still living in
Mentor, aged 78 years.  The subject of this sketch was
born in Mentor Aug. 29, 1829; in 1848, he went to
Newark, Licking Co., Ohio, where he resided two years,
going thence to Hebron in 1850, and remaining there
until 1854; from there he removed to Columbus, Ohio,
where he lived until 1856; going to Nashville, Tenn.
in this year, he remained until the spring of 1857,
returning to Licking Co.; in Oct. 1858, he came to
Portage, and in March 1859, engaged in the hardware
business at his present location, corner of Wisconsin
and Cook streets.  Mr. CORNING has been Mayor of
Portage City two terms, and served as Alderman for
many years; in 1872, he was a member of the Assembly,
and is now a County Commissioner.  He was married at
Loveland, Ohio, Dec. 20, 1854, to Cornelia E. SMITH;
she was born in Cincinnati Dec. 3, 1836; they have
five children - Anna M., born in Hebron, Ohio, now
Mrs. S. E. ARNOLD, of Germantown, Juneau Co., Wis.;
Nellie R., William SMITH, Mary L. and Bella T., born
in Portage.  Mr. CORNING is a member of the A.F. &
A.M. Lodge, Chapter and Commandery, and of the
A.O.U.W.

AGNES N. CORNWELL, born in Windsor, Vt., 1820; her
life-work has been teaching; she was educated in the
Amherst Female Seminary and at Wilbraham Academy,
Massachusetts; her first teaching was with her two
brothers in a select school at Newton, Sussex Co.,
N.J.  She was married in 1842 to Elijah C. BUTZ, who
died in 1842, at Southport (now Kenosha), where he was
in mercantile business; they had one daughter - Carrie
A., who is now married and living in New Jersey; in
1847, Mrs. CORNWELL taught the first school in
Columbus, Wis.; in 1850, she came to Portage and
opened a select school with seven pupils, in the old
McFarland warehouse.  In 1853, she married Lyman
CORNWELL and soon afterward went to California and
returned in 1857, on the death of her brother; before
returning to California, they built the house where
she now resides.  Mr. CORNWELL died in California in
the year 1869; she owns her cozy home and also has
considerable unimproved land in the State.  She is a
member of the First Presbyterian Church; she was a
competent and conscientious teacher, and her
faithfulness is attested by many grateful pupils.

MISS ANNA CROAK, chief dining-room girl at the Corning
House, was born in Portage in 1858, and has lived all
her life in this county.  She is a Catholic; she is
the veteran employee of the hotel, having worked under
the Fox administration about three years; her quick
step and pleasant smile are remembered by myriads of
well-fed patrons of the Corning House.

C. J. COX was born in Minnisink, Orange Co., N.Y.,
Aug. 4, 1832; when G. J. was 5 years of age, his
father, Calvin COX, moved to Montrose, Susquehanna
Co., Penn., where he died when the subject of this
sketch was a small boy.  His mother, Margaret L. now
75 years of age, still resides at Montrose.  Mr. C.
came to Wisconsin, locating at Wyocena, in 1854; he
remained there a little over a year, when he came to
Portage and engaged in teaching until the year 1858;
having studied law before coming West, he commenced
the practice of his profession in 1858, and has since
continued the business of lawyer.  In 1861, he was
elected County Judge, of Marquette Co.; from 1862 to
1868 was Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue; in
the years 1874 and 1875, was City Superintendent of
schools, and Alderman of Third Ward in 1879 and 1880. 
Mr. COX was married at Wyocena, Oct. 31, 1855, to
Eliza A. WOOD, daughter of Rev. Nathan WOOD, who came
to Wyocoena in 1846, and still resides there; her
mother, Harriet WOOD, died there Sept. 4, 1847, being
the first person ever interned in the cemetery of that
place; they have five children - Edward E., Hubert H.,
Margaret C., Mabel A. and Mary Alice.  Mrs. COX was
born at Stockbridge, Madison Co., N.Y.  Mr. and Mrs.
C. and son are members of the Presbyterian Church and
Mr. COX is a member of the lodge of I.O.O.F. of this
city.

Submitted by Carol