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
978-979

ALFRED TOPLIFF (deceased); was born in Westfield,
Mass., Nov. 11, 1799; he was the youngest of a family
of eight children, whose parents were John and Susanna
(JACOBS) TOPLIFF.  Mr. TOPLIFF devoted much of his
earlier life to teaching in his native State, and, in
the spring of 1844, he came to Columbus, Wis., but
soon after located in the town of Hampden, and there
went to work making improvements, and preparing a home
for his family, who were then East; in 1846 he went
back for his family, consisting of a wife and three
daughters, and when he returned with them he found
that he had been elected county Surveyor, an office
which he held till the year 1870, when he resigned,
but the instruments which he loved so well were not
allowed to become rusty for want of use; many were the
lines run and the roads laid out by him.  Scarcely a
year before his death, did he give up the profession
that he had followed so long and faithfully; in 1851,
he was elected a member of the Wisconsin Legislature
and re-elected in 1852, proving himself to be an
active, intelligent and honest member of that body in
1855, he removed to the City of Columbus (then
village) and resided here till his death, which
occurred Nov. 3, 1879; his wife having died eleven
years before him; he left a family of three daughters
- Mrs. CHADBOURN, Mrs. WATERHOUSE and an unmarried
daughter.  A writer who knew Mr. TOPLIFF says:"It was
always pleasant to meet the good old gentleman, kind,
intelligent, courteous, a good word for everybody;
always appearing to look on the bright side of the
picture, and with that quaint humor of which he was so
fond and ever at his command, he was sure to dispel
the gloom which might be upon his auditor, leaving
him, for the time being at least, a transformed being,
feeling better for having conversed with the good old
man.  He was a religious man in the true meaning of
the term, nothing egotistical of pharisaical about
him, but a true, intelligent belief in God and his
Savior, guided and controlled him in the latter part
of his earthly career."

Page 979

REV. M. G. TODD, Pastor of the Universalist Church at
Black River Falls, Elkhorn, and the parish of Wyocena;
was born at Homer, Cortland Co., N.Y., in 1821; he is
the youngest son of eleven children, whose parents
were Dan and Sarah TODD, natives of Connecticut, but
were among the first settlers of Cortland Co., N.Y.,
where they afterward died.  The Rev. Mr. TODD
completed his studies at the Cortland Academy of Homer
in 1843, and afterward removed to Geneva, Kane Co.,
Ill., where he engaged in teaching for five years, and
then followed farming there for six years.  Reduced in
health, he came to Wisconsin for recuperation and
located on a farm in the town of Merrimack, Sauk Co.
Regaining his health, he entered upon the work of the
ministry at Prairie du Sac in 1856; in 1857, he
preached the first Universalist sermon at Lodi, Wis.;
organized the society and was settled as its Pastor
for five years; in the spring of 1862, he removed to
Mazo Manie, Dane Co., where he organized the society
and was Pastor two years.  He was called to the
chaplainry of the 23d W.V.I., under Col. GUPPEY, in
1864, and remained with his regiment till the close of
the war.  Returning then to Mazo Manie, he resumed his
ministerial work there, and also organized a society
and built the Universalist Church at Prairie du Sac;
in February 1866, he preached his first sermon at
Columbus; organized the society and was settled as its
Pastor in the following spring.  After a successful
pastorate of twelve years, much worn with labor, he
resigned.  Soon forming a circuit, including the
parishes of Black River Falls, Elkhorn and Wyocena, he
has since supplied these places with regular services.
At Homer, N.Y., in 1845, he was married to Miss
Margaret WILLIAMS, who died at Geneva, Ill, in 1849,
leaving two sons - Lewellyn and Willard..  His second
marriage was in 1850, to Miss Helen PARKER, of Geneva,
Ill.; they have three sons and two daughters - W. E.,
a graduate of the State University in 1876, and has
since been Principal of the Lodi High School; D.
Charles, a farmer in Sauk Co.; Miles E., now a student
at the Columbus High School; Evelyn, a student at
vocal music under the instruction of Miss Fannie ROOT,
of Chicago; Myrtie, a student in the public schools of
Columbus.  Rev. Mr. TODD is a member of the Masonic
fraternity; also of the Order of Good Templars, Temple
of Honor, and S. of T., and of I.O.O.F.; has been K.
W. G. Chaplain of the Order of the State.

JOHN TOPP, of the firm of John TOPP & Bro., general
merchants, Columbus; was born in Mecklenburg in 1840;
he came to America with his parents, John F. and Anna
TOPP, and located at Columbus, Wis., in 1852, where
his father afterward died; his mother now lives with
him.  Mr. TOPP was educated at the public schools of
Columbus; he devoted two summers to farming near this
city, and, in 1859, began clerking in a general store
in Columbus for B. STERN, continuing as such four
years; he was then placed in charge of the business at
this place by Mr. STERN; two years later, he formed a
co-partnership with his proprietor in the firm of John
TOPP & Co.; in April 1866, his brother, Charles, who
had been managing the farm, formed a co-partnership
with him in the place of Mr. STERN, and they have
since continued the business as John TOPP & Bro.  Mr.
TOPP has been a member of the City Council for one
term.  He was married in 1864 to Miss Mona, daughter
of Henry and Louisa SCHWIESON, of Columbus, but a
native of Mecklenburg; their children are Charles J.,
Henry J., Rudolph O.  They are members of the Lutheran
Church.  Mr. TOPP is also a member of the Masonic
Fraternity.

WILLIAM T. TURNER, farmer and stonecutter; P.O.
Columbus; was born in the town of Leeds, Yorkshire,
England, in 1819; when 12 years of age, he entered
upon an apprenticeship at the stonecutter's trade,
which he afterward followed in Scotland, the Island of
Jersey and other British possessions till 1847,
emigrating then to America and landing in New York in
March 1847; he worked at his trade in Lockport, N.Y.,
for a short time; he came to Wisconsin in December
following, stopped for the winter in Milwaukee, and in
the following spring, came to Columbus, Columbia Co.;
he entered a farm of 160 acres, part of which lies in
the town of Fountain Prairie, and part in the town of
Courtland, Columbia Co., and devoted his time
exclusively to farming till 1870; removing then to the
city of Columbus, he opened a marble-shop and resumed
his trade, which he has continued most of the time
since.  He was married in 1847 to Anna MARSTON, of
Yorkshire; they have seven children, John, now a
farmer in the town of Courtland; Joseph M., now
Principal of the High School at Watertown, Wis.;
William R., now in marble-shop in this city; Alice A.,
at home; Mary A., a teacher in Dodge Co.; Angelina D.,
a teacher in Columbia Co.; Emily M.  The family is
connected with the Universalist Church.

Submitted by Carol