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
918-921

ROBERT C. PIXLEY was born in London, Canada West, Oct.
14, 1832; lived there until the spring of 1850, then
came with his parents, Bemus J. and Mary PIXLEY, to
Portage, Wis., arriving April 15, 1850.  Father died
in the house where he settled, Aug. 1879; mother died
May 1879, leaving four children - William B., of
Stockton, Cal.; Jonathan B., now in Minnesota; Harriet
M., now Mrs. Philo M. PLUMB, of La Crosse, and Robert
C., the subject of the sketch.  Mr. P. was engaged in
teaming for six or seven years; in the fall of 1856,
he went to New Lisbon, Wis., and carried on grocery,
livery, and express business, until 1861; he then
spent one year in California; has been a resident of
Portage ever since, dealing in hides, furs, etc.,
since 1862, with ARTHUR Bros., with the exception of
two years spent in the store of LOOMIS, GALLETT &
BREESE.  Mr. PIXLEY was married Jan. 20, 1856, to
Elizabeth O. BLANCHARD, a native of Oneida Co., N.Y.
They have two children - Charles R., born Jan. 13,
1857, and Minnie L., born Oct. 25, 1860.  Mr. P. is
now serving as Alderman.

Page 921

SHERMAN L. PLUMB, the subject of this sketch, was born
in Monroe, Fairfield Co., Conn., July 20, 1841; when a
lad 16 years of age, he went to Galesburg; was there
about four years, then came to Milwaukee; where he
remained, most of the time engaged in railroading,
until 1866, when he came to Portage and engaged in his
present business since coming to this city.  Married
in Portage, Aug. 27, 1872, Alice I. STANTON; she was
born in Lake Co., Ill.  Mr. PLUMB is a member of the
A.F. & A.M.

CHARLES PREHN, carpenter; was born in North Prussia
Sept. 23, 1839; came to Milwaukee in 1853; in 1855, he
came to Portage and began working at his trade, which
business he has since followed.  He was married at
Portage, Feb. 3, 1861, to Emma LA CLAIR, who was born
in Prussia; they have six children - William L., born
July 17, 1863; Charles G., born March 18, 1865; Bertha
A., born Aug. 6, 1867; Gustav C., born Oct. 15, 1869;
Louis, born Jan. 8, 1872, and Augusta D., born Sept.
25, 1876.  Mr. P. is a member of the Temple of Honor,
and has served as Alderman of the First Ward; his
father, John PREHN, died in 1857, but his mother,
Minnie PREHN, is still living, being over 80 years of
age.

LOUIS PREHN, blacksmith; was born in Mecklenburg,
Germany, on the 19th of January 1843; when he was of
the age of 10 years, his parents emigrated to America,
and located at Milwaukee; his father was a farmer
named John PREHN; has lived in Portage since 1855.
Was married in January 1866, to Miss Bertha NEIMATS,
who was born in July 1846, in Prussia.  He has been
Supervisor two terms; is connected with the I.O.O.F.
Has three children - George, born in 1867; Emma, born
in 1872, and Lizzie, born in 1876.  His widowed mother
lives with him; he is reported as a substantial,
reliable citizen; he reports business prosperous.

JAMES PRENTICE, physician and surgeon; was born at
Aurora, Erie Co., N.Y., Nov. 15, 1820; came from Erie
Co., with his brother, to Milwaukee in 1844; remained
there six months, when he removed to Antioch, Lake
Co., Ill., living there one year; then went to St.
Charles, Kane Co., Ill., where he studied medicine
with Prof. G. W. RICHARDS; he graduated at Indiana
Medical College, at La Porte, Ind., in 1847, his
preceptor being Professor of Theory and Practice in
that institution; came to Fort Winnebago in 1849, and
has since made this his home.  Was Surgeon of the 23d
W.V.I., entering the service in August 1862, and
resigned in February 1863, on account of ill health,
and has since been engaged in the active practice of
medicine up to the present time.  Was married at
Bellefontaine, Columbia Co., Wis., in 1848, to Emma
BONNEY; she was born in Maine; they have three
daughters - Alice (now the wife of R. J. FLINT, an
editor at Menomonee), Anna and Emma.  The Doctor was a
Justice of the Peace at Fort Winnebago in an early
day.

JAMES O. PRESCOTT, of the firm of CARNAGIE, PRESCOTT &
Co., lumber dealers, and manufactures of sash, doors
and blinds; was born in the town of Sanbornton,
Belknap Co., N.H., March 16, 1829; when 16 years of
age, he went to Massachusetts; lived in Worcester one
year and then went to Lowell, where he remained until
1855, when he removed to Westfield, N.Y., where he
resided until coming to Wisconsin in May 1856,
locating at Portage, where he has lived ever since;
engaged in building, contracting, etc.; soon after
coming here, he became associated with A. CARNAGIE, in
building operations, and they were together in that
business for fifteen years, until 1872; they erected
the VEEDER House in 1857, the high school building,
the Columbia Co. Court House and Jail, and also built
several of the principal blocks of this city; was
appointed Under Sheriff Jan. 1, 1873, and did the
business of Sheriff during the term for which William
W. DRAKE was elected; in the fall of 1874 Mr. PRESCOTT
was elected Sheriff; has been Under Sheriff all the
time since he was Sheriff, with the exception of a few
months of the first part of Mr. CONKLIN's term; was
Alderman, from 1864 to 1871, of the Second Ward; was
President of the Council two years, and a member of
the School Board one year.  was married in Lowell,
Mass., Oct. 20, 1851, to Sophia T. MASS; she was born
at Fairfield, Me.; they have two children - Allie L.
and Laura E.

Submitted by Carol