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
906-907

MRS. MINNIE L. HURLBUT, M.D., born Oct. 30, 1835, in
Defiance, Ohio, daughter of Jacob and Minerva KNISS.
Her father was a merchant.  In 1853, she, with her
parents came to Wisconsin and settled in New Lisbon,
Juneau Co.  She had enjoyed the advantages of the
public schools in her native city, and afterward
attended one year at Delton Academy in Wisconsin; she
taught the first school in New Lisbon.  She was
married on the 7th of October 1856, to Roderick W.
COE, of Delton, who died Dec. 15, 1857.  She had, from
early life an aspiration for the medical profession,
and much of her reading and study had that end in
view, several years before beginning her systematic
course of preparation.  On the 20th of January 1859,
she was married to Hiram H. HURLBUT, of Delton.  They
have two sons - Wendell Phillips, born Dec. 21, 1859,
and John Fremont, born Sept. 29, 1861; W. P. is in
Wayland Academy, at Beaver Dam, Wis., and the other is
at home.  Mrs. H. studied medicine three years in the
office of Dr. WOODRUFF, of Lima, N.Y; she attended two
fall courses of lectures at Hahnemann Medical College
in Chicago and graduated in 1872; she remained in the
college as Assistant House physician, and spent one
season in hospital work.  For nearly three years after
graduation, she practiced her profession in Delton,
and then located in Portage, where she has a well-
established and increasing patronage.  They have a
spacious home, which, in connection with their bathing
establishment, is known as the Portage Sanitarium;" a
few boarding patients are accommodated; in 1878, they
purchased and fitted, at the expense of $1,000, the
celebrated "Moliere Thermo-Electric Bath;" this, they
claim, is the only one of the kind between Chicago and
San Francisco.  Her husband, Hiram H. HURLBUT, is
quite enthusiastic in proclaiming the efficacy of
these baths, and in their use he is said to be
experienced and skillful; electricity is closely
allied to life, and the specific virtues of this over
the ordinary bath are unquestioned; the philosophical
construction and reviving power of those baths are
well attested.  Mr. H. who has chief care of them, is
a man of diversified attainments, having studied
music, medicine, theology and law; he was born April
30, 1814, in LeRay, Jefferson Co., N.Y.

Page 907

EVAN H. HUGES, merchant tailor; was born in Bangor,
North Wales, June 19, 1838; came to America in May
1850, settling with his parents at Racine, Wis., where
he resided seven years; removed to Chicago for three
years, and, after working in various places in
Wisconsin and Illinois, came to Portage in 1864, where
he has been engaged in business for himself most of
the time since.  Mr. HUGHES was married at Cambria,
Wis - where he resided one year - June 8, 1861, to
Sarah E. ROBERTS, born in Wexam, North Wales.  They
have eight children - William, Minnie, Maggie, Walter,
Fannie, Robert, Byron, and Sarah.  Mr. H. is Senior
Warden of the A.F. & A.M. Lodge.  His parents, Evan E.
and Mary HUGHES, are living, and reside at Racine.

JOSEPH HURST, round-house carpenter at Portage for the
C.M. & St. P. R.R.; is of English parentage, but was
born in Ireland on Feb. 15, 1833; he came to the
United States in May, 1849, and served an
apprenticeship as carpenter in New Haven, Conn.; after
five years' service, he ran into this city.  He was
married Feb. 8, 1849 (when at the age of 16), to Miss
Elizabeth BOARDMAN, who was but 15 years old; she is
of Quaker parentage, but was born in Dublin, Ireland. 
They have had nine children, two died in childhood;
the living are named - Benjamin, who is a fireman;
George T., an engineer; Abigail M., Joseph W., a
fireman; Hannah M., Fanny, and John F. are in school;
the sons and daughters all live at home.  Himself and
wife are members of the Episcopal Church.  While in
New Haven, his main business was church building.  He
is a Royal Arch Mason.

GEORGE C. JACKSON, a native of New York State, was
born in East Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N.Y., Feb. 13,
1825, and lived there until 1846, when he went to
Chicago, where he resided until 1850; he then made an
overland trip to California, was there eighteen
months, came back, only remaining three months when he
again went to California where he remained until 1854,
working as overseer at Sacramento of a wagon
manufactory and employed as general superintendent of
the business; he then went to Orange, N.J., and went
into wagon manufacturing for himself, selling his
wagons to the California firm which he had been
formerly connected with; remained in Orange two years,
then lived in Newark six months, when he came to
Wisconsin, locating at Portage in June 1857, and
engaged in his old business of manufacturing
carriages, wagons, sleighs, etc., and is now engaged
in the sale of agricultural implements.  Married in
Buffalo, N.Y., to Rosina I. DAY, she was born in
England; they have had nine children, six now living -
James C., William H., Ella A., Charlotte V., Walter L.
and Percy F. - lost three who died in infancy.  Mr.
and Mrs. J. and two daughters are members of the
Baptist Church.

OLE JOHNSON, son of John and Julia JOHNSON, was born
in Norway, Sept. 5, 1854; came to Lewiston, Columbia
Co., in 1869, where his parents are farming; came to
Portage in 1873, where he has since been engaged as
salesman with SCHUMACHER & SCHULZE.  Mr. JOHNSON was
married at Lewiston, June 17, 1879, to Amelia,
daughter of Andrew JACKSON.  Both are members of the
Lutheran Church.

Submitted by Carol