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
921-922

EDMUND S. PURDY is a native of the city of New York;
was born Sept. 6, 1845; is a son of Edmund and Harriet
PURDY, who came to Wisconsin, locating at Fox Lake,
Dodge Co., in 1846, and have resided there to the
present time; E. S. lived there until the fall of
1868; has been engaged in the drug trade since he
became 13 years of age; with Frances IBBERSON, of Fox
Lake, for ten years; then in Ripon one year; engaged
in business for himself several years; took charge of
the business for WATERHOUSE & DAVIS since April 9,
1871; Henry MERRELL was a partner with him until his
death, in May 1876; Mr. MERRELL's heirs were
interested in the business until Dec. 8, 1879; is also
engaged in the manufacture of the Vacuum Cream
Extractor, for the last two years.  Married at
Portage, Sept. 13, 1871, to Helen M. MERRELL, daughter
of Henry MERRELL; she was born at Ft. Winnebago July
1, 1850, and was probably the first one christened in
the Episcopal Church of Portage; they have two
children - Henry Edmund, born October 1872, and Hattie
Elizabeth, born Nov. 5, 1874.  Mr. PURDY has been
Alderman of the Second War four years; is at present
member of the School Board.

JOHN D. PUGH, of the firm of J. D. PUGH & Co.,
grocers; born in North Wales, February 1847, is the
son of David and Laura PUGH, who came to America when
John D. was an infant, 11 months of age, locating in
Green Lake Co., where they still reside; Mr. PUGH
lived in Green Lake Co., most of the time until 1868;
during the next three and a half years, was engaged in
clerking for J. M. DARLING; returned to Green Lake
Co.,and was employed in farming, up to the fall of
1877; has been in business for himself since March
1879, associated  with Thomas W. DREW.

JOB PURNELL was born in Trowbridge, Wilshire, England,
Dec. 1, 1819; came to America in 1841, and located at
Norwich, Conn., remaining there until 1853, when he
moved to Ohio, where he resided one year before coming
to Wisconsin, to Portage, where he located in 1854,
and has resided here ever since, and engaged in
present business, dealing in stoves, tinware, etc., up
to present time, with the exception of two years that
he worked for BACON & ATKINS.  Mr. P. was married at
Norwich, Conn., Oct. 23, 1844, to Emma OSBORNE; she
was born in Sommersetshire, England; they have five
children - Eliza E., now Mrs. Arthur O. STEVENS, of
Milwaukee; Mary A., now Mrs. J. F. COSS, of Milwaukee;
Susan M., now Mrs. Alex. THOMSON, of this city; Sarah
O., and Minnie A; lost one daughter, aged 14 months,
died in 1858.  Mrs. PURNELL died here Jan. 3, 1879.

GEORGE S. RACE, route agent on the C. M. & ST. P.
R.R.; born at Mineral Point, Wis., on the 15th of
October 1843; lived with his parents until his
enlistment in the United States service at Portage, on
the 15th of September 1861, in Co. E, Capt. Geo. N.
RICHMOND, of 2d W.C., under command of Col. C. C.
WASHBURN; the company went to barracks at Cold
Springs, Milwaukee, during the winter of 1861 and
1862, for drill and discipline; in April 1862, the
regiment was removed to Benton Barracks, St. Louis,
Mo., where it was mounted, armed and equipped, and
thence ordered to Helena, Ark.; while there, he was
Chief Clerk in Post Provost Marshal's Office;
afterward, he was Commissary Sergeant of the regiment
on 1st of September 1863; he "veteranized" on the 1st
of January 1865, and on the 30th of same month, he was
commissioned First Lieutenant and made Regimental
Quartermaster, in which capacity he served till
mustered out at Austin, Texas, on the 15th, 1865; the
regiment was in the Army of the Southwest, serving in
Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas,
and Texas, and took part in several battles; since the
war, he has been clerk, bookkeeper, mechanic, and is
now in railway mail service between Chicago and La
Crosse.  He was married Sept. 27, 1866, to Miss Agnes
CARNAGIE, of Portage; they have four children - Earl,
Harry, Fred, and Ralph.  He is a Mason and member of
Temple of Honor; lives on Pleasant street.

Submitted by Carol